Disrespected Chief (Seraphine Thomas Book 15)
Author: Erin R Flynn
Date: 2023-05-25T16:00:00+00:00
Publisher: Supernatural Script, Inc

Table of Contents

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Division Chief Seraphine Thomas is tired of the men in her world making her life so much more difficult. From Brian getting promoted and bringing Murray into her life to Murray treating her like he’s her boss and she has to play along to set him up because of what Director Galvin wants. Then there’s Enzo’s plans and new crazy all the way up to the damn president.

Seriously, she’s about to just beat all the men in the world if they don’t stop with the unnecessary drama. And apparently, Alena’s over it too.

While she can’t change a lot, Sera never stops trying to be the best version of herself and is working on loads she can make better. Her drive and pushing through the bad inspires the supes who need her and see her as the hope we all need most days.

Especially when there will always be monsters who live among us. Someone is killing in Chicago, and it’s a weird case unlike the FBI has seen. Handling a murder investigation shouldn’t be the easy part of someone’s life, right?

Seraphine Thomas is a crime series filled with Chicago attitude and a strong heroine that pushes what most would think a female lead capable of, along with the heat being involved with several men brings while trying to figure out what she wants.

*This book is part of a series and cannot be read as a standalone. Like all my books, this is not light and fluffy and includes dark themes and events some may find triggering. Reader discretion is advised.

1

“If you take your phone out for any reason, I will detain you and you will be interrogated,” I warned the aide without even looking up from my tablet.

“I just needed to check something,” he defended.

“Don’t bother lying within these walls,” I drawled. “We know the truth. You were told to turn off your phone and put it away and it could not be brought back out again.”

“Why does that matter if you have nothing to hide?” the blowhard forcing me to be there demanded.

I glanced up at him and sighed. “I’m sure you have nothing to hide in your house, but you also don’t let people film there either.” I held up my hand when he opened his mouth. “You cannot film inside Quantico. This is standard FBI protocol.”

“I don’t believe that for one second,” he muttered, but backed down, so clearly he did.

“Well, your ignorance isn’t my problem,” I replied easily. “Your desire to flaunt how ignorant you are apparently has to be my problem though since you decided to throw this fit.”

“I’m a US Congressman and you will treat me with—”

“If you have to demand that people treat you with respect then what the hell is it worth, Congressman?” I drawled. “You’re not my congressman. You showed up here and demanded special treatment, wanting a royal welcome and more.” I had a hard time not smiling when Eugene snorted. “You didn’t even have the respect for us to call ahead, so I’m treating you as you deserve.”

“I will be reporting this to your superiors,” he threatened.

I raised an eyebrow. “Do you even know how to get in touch with them directly as a freshman congressman? You’re not even on the oversight committee, right? What committee are you on that you think you have the right to show up here? We both know this isn’t about your job but your politics, so enough with the bluster.”

“What is your name?” the congressman demanded of Eugene when the dire wolf snorted again.

“Trainer A is mute,” I declared firmly, nodding when the congressman and two of his aides gave me a look that they weren’t buying it. “And he is not to be named.”

“You can’t just hide his name from the people who deserve—”

“I can and will,” I snapped. “FBI training personnel are never named. Never. If you went to Quantico, you would get the same answer. But you don’t care about Quantico because you hate supes. You got sworn in, and the first thing you’re doing with your new fancy title is to come here and try and start shit because we’re supes.”

I moved into his space and stared up at the taller man without fear, my heels putting us almost nose to nose.

“I’ll warn you the same as I did the last guy who thought he had the upper hand and tried this crap with me. Make sure you don’t crash and burn with that fancy new title testing the limits of the power it comes with the moment you get it, Congressman. You are not the big fish you think you are, and you are not only ignorant but without self-preservation if you don’t understand that.”

“Are you seriously threatening a sitting member of Congress?” the second aide who hadn’t spoken yet demanded.

I kept the congressman’s eyes but answered the guy. “That’s not a threat. If you think that’s a threat, you’re an idiot. That was very clearly a damn warning. Now behave like guests or I will toss you out.” I turned to the first aide when he snorted and bared my teeth at him. “You are here for a damn PR stunt and interrupting real work.”

“Yeah, right, your division is a joke and we’re going to prove it,” he taunted.

“I don’t think you were supposed to say that out loud,” I drawled, pointing at the cameras in the lobby where I was keeping them until things were put into place for their “tour.”

The congressman shot the aide a look, but I wasn’t letting the comment go.

“While you were sending out a fundraising email about taking the first step to put animals in cages and get us disgusting supes back under control on your way here, I was on a call with British Intelligence about a new terrorist organization they’ve identified. And apparently, I’m one of the only people who has come across one of their founders.

“They were a low-level gun runner when I was undercover as an arms dealer, but a bit of this and that and the way of the world, and now they’re leading a terrorist organization that has killed a few hundred people already and is recruiting fast. And I’m one of the only people with intel on them. I was debriefing British Intelligence to help them, and that’s what you interrupted.”

I just about lost all hope in humanity at the congressman’s response.

“I don’t care what’s happening over in Europe when we have tons of problems here,” he snapped.

“You should,” I sneered. “They hate Western culture. Does that sound like only a them problem? Or something that will come for us when they get bigger and have more people?” I couldn’t hide my disgust or keep cool anymore. “They’re our allies. I get you have no loyalty, but the rest of us do and keep our oaths. I protect all people.”

“What the hell does that mean?” he blasted.

“You have supes in your district, Congressman. What the hell are you doing to help them? You’re stirring up hate, and when one of them gets hurt because of it, you will be the one I come for and arrest. That’s a damn promise.”

Luckily, the door opened and a woman who helped manage the facility stuck her head out. “We’re ready for the tour now, Chief Thomas.”

“Thank you so much.” I stepped inside and gave her a look to make herself scarce so they didn’t pounce on her. Then I led the congressman and his two aides through the briefest tour of the very large facility ever given while not telling them what anything was. “Okay, that concludes our tour. Have a nice flight back.”

“You didn’t show us anything,” the congressman exploded. “We didn’t see any of the training or people.”

I slowly grinned at him. “You asked to see the facility, Congressman. Why do you need to see people for that? Do you have some sort of nefarious intentions because you said you were trying to educate yourself since you were so ignorant on so much?”

“I never said I was ignorant,” he snapped. “I said I wanted to see what went on here. I could have seen this from pictures.”

“But there are none of the facility just like there aren’t of the inside of Quantico.”

“You pulled people from training to hide them from me,” he bitched, ignoring what I’d said.

“As they do at Quantico,” I said firmly, taking my time with each word. I nodded when the three men gave me disbelieving looks. “I was recruited with the intention of going undercover. There were multiple times I was pulled from training when outsiders visited or were taking a tour so my undercover status wouldn’t ever be compromised.”

“You can’t tell me that everyone here is going to go undercover!”

I shrugged. “We don’t know their assignments yet or what will happen with this class. I’m protecting my people as I should.” I stepped into his space again. “You have no security clearance. You haven’t had any background checks. You were elected to represent your district. You don’t get access to everything then.

“The US government isn’t that stupid, Congressman. You could be out next election. If we let in every damn idiot who was elected on a whim from every remote corner of this country there wouldn’t be any national security. So you complain all you want, but I followed every FBI protocol when you didn’t.

“If this was Quantico, you would never have pulled this surprise crap. You would never have disrespected their hard work and expected them to dance for you. But we don’t do real work here, and you wanted to flex your muscles here. You did. This is what you got for it.”

“You’ll be out of a job after this, Thomas.”

I snorted. “I’ve heard that so many times the threat is boring, Congressman.” I smirked up at him. “You came here so you could go spew bile about seeing with your own eyes how supes were being trained to be weapons and hurt humans. That’s damn hard to do when you didn’t see one supe training.

“So enough with the outrage when you came with every bad intention and to work against the interests of this country. You did it when Chief Havers was called into some crap security check and thought you could walk all over the trainers here.” I sighed when his eyes flashed shock. “We work for the FBI. We’re not idiots. We were ready for that.

“Honestly, I’m insulted they didn’t send a bigger gun but some freshman congressman who looks the fool most time on the news and C-SPAN.” I stepped away when his adrenaline spiked, not wanting this to get to the level he might want to actually take a swing at me. That might be great to have on camera, but the fallout for me would be bad too.

Because the world wasn’t fair.

“Now that you realize we’ve been a step ahead of you, realize who you’re playing with,” I warned. “I’m not only a division chief of the FBI, which there are less of than members of Congress. I’m Alpha of one of the biggest and most prosperous packs and a very wealthy woman. I am also the daughter of the leader of Greece.

“She might be a minister, but everyone knows Alena Dorcus is the leader of the country. I am friends with the Global Shifter Council and International Vampire Council. The president of Iran has given me and mine his protection. So if you come at me, make sure you have the ammo besides I was rude or didn’t fall into your trap before you take me on.”

“I bet that’s why they sent a freshman congressman,” Eugene muttered. “It would be no loss for their cause if he was chewed up and spit out. He’s completely expendable and they wouldn’t take a real hit.”

“You were told you were mute,” I reminded him.

“Right, totally mute,” he agreed, smirking as he apologized.

But he was right.

And the congressman knew he was as well.

He let out one last huff and stormed out of the building like a toddler throwing a tantrum, his aides scurrying after him. I smirked at Eugene and followed after the group.

“You set this up,” the congressman accused me when I walked outside, referring to the handful of local reporters that were standing there calling his name.

I gave him a bored look. “I’m fairly sure you flew commercial, Congressman. You sent a fundraiser email announcing what you were going to do. You don’t think the media are on those lists for scoops? They are.”

But yes, of course, I had sent in tips to the supe-friendly reporters I knew in Chicago.

Duh.

I walked right up to the group with a tight smile. “I understand you have questions for the congressman, but this is not a facility open to the public, so you need to watch what’s in the background, please.” Relief filled me when the camera guys all nodded they knew and their angles seemed fine.

“Chief Thomas, why is the congressman here?” one of the reporters I liked best asked.

“He flew out on taxpayer money to give us a surprise inspection,” I said sweetly. “I assumed that he would do the same to Quantico and this was for the FBI overall because he was assigned to the oversight committee, but no on both counts.”

“He sent out a fundraising email about this trip. Are you saying he informed the general public before the FBI of this visit?” he pushed.

“Apparently. It’s a shame that he interrupted a day of training and pulled me from an important case I was working on to help his fundraising dollars but—”

“I think that’s enough questions for Chief Thomas,” the aide cut in. “She has—”

“I think you should never try to speak for me ever again before you piss off my security,” I warned him with a raised eyebrow.

He turned and shot me a nasty look before glancing over my shoulder and swallowing loudly. “You said you were busy.”

“I am. I was too busy for your surprise visit, but you demanded my time. You don’t get to dictate how I use my time now and ignore questions from our Chicago press. We don’t disrespect each other like that around here. I’m sorry people in the great state of Alabama don’t demand the same level of politeness or manners. Please remember yours.”

The reporter looked like he was about to die, continuing when I nodded to him. “What did the tour include for the congressman?”

Perfect. That was exactly what I wanted to get on the record.

“Unfortunately, not much,” I said with a shrug. “Section Chief Havers is out of town with work and is the one in charge of this facility. The congressman hasn’t had the correct background checks and the FBI is diligent to our protocols, so we followed the same ones as Quantico. Excuse me, but I do have a full day that was interrupted.”

Right on cue, Eugene called my name from the door before ducking right back in from the cameras. That gave me the chance to go right back inside the building, smirking at the congressman now that my back was to the cameras.

Asshole.

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be the last asshole we would have to put up with pulling this nonsense now that things were shit with the new administration and some of the gems in Congress.

I walked back inside and completely forgot what I was going to say when I caught a scent… On someone I shouldn’t. I spun around and kicked Axel in the chest, sending him into the wall and shocking everyone there.

I wasn’t done though, on him in a flash and backhanding him across the face. I reached up and grabbed his throat, letting my hand change into a claw even. “Why the fuck are you dripping with the scent of wolf? A female fucking wolf?”

He blinked at me and couldn’t seem to make his mouth work which pissed me off even more, my claws digging in his neck deep enough that blood ran down from them.

“There’s one in the training class, Sera,” Eugene said quietly.

“I know that,” I snapped. “Why the fuck is she on him?”

“Training,” several people answered, the duh implied.

“Did they train naked?” I growled. I practically saw the lightbulb go off over Axel’s head.

“I loaned her my sweatshirt this morning for the run,” he explained. “It was colder than expected and we were outside. It’s on the sweatshirt, not me.”

I bared my teeth at him but let him go. “Idiot.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” he muttered.

“No, you’re…” I sighed and shook out my hand now that it was back to normal. More to dispel the adrenaline than anything. “You’re an idiot because you can’t acknowledge she’s a girl in training, Axel. She’s just Trainee A to you.”

“I do that,” he defended.

I raised an eyebrow. “Was she the only one without a sweatshirt this morning?”

“No,” Eugene answered.

“And did you offer the men your sweatshirt?” I purred, nodding when Axel winced. “I get it. You’re a gentleman. That’s lovely. Not in training. She was a twit and suffers just like the others.”

“It was early. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Well, think about the fact that you’re in the Alpha’s bed and don’t fucking share your clothes with a female wolf,” I snapped, adjusting my neck when my wolf still wanted a piece of him.

“It does get a bit confusing,” Eugene said quietly. “The line, I mean. It’s harder for us at times because women weren’t allowed in our training for so long.”

I let out a slow breath and reached for patience. “I get that, but the line is pretty easy if you stop stressing about it because you’re good people. Trainees are unisex unless it’s a situation their sex can be taken advantage of. Sparring. Room assignments. Bathrooms. That’s the line.”

“That actually really helps,” Axel said after a moment. “Yeah, okay, that’s a clearer line for me.”

“We maybe should have a female trainer or personnel to oversee now that we’re getting more recruits in,” Eugene hedged.

“I’m working on that, but it’s—we don’t really have anyone qualified I can bring in and our budget sucks, plus they don’t have it at Quantico. I would like just an advisor to work with you guys on the line, and then maybe we can implement that at Quantico as well but yeah, can’t fix everything at once.”

I waited until they accepted that and tried to think back to what I was going to say… But I couldn’t.

“Take off the fucking sweatshirt!” I yelled, shocking everyone there again.

Myself included.

Damn, my wolf was being a pain.

Axel did, and the moment I saw more of his neck since he’d had a tank top underneath, I was on him again. My wolf bit him and not in the happy way. She was pissed. Like pissed.

And that never ended well.

For anyone.

2

“Get your ass to me the moment work is over,” I told him, my tone not fucking around. “Clearly, you need to be reminded of how lucky you are.”

He swallowed loudly. “And punished.”

My wolf about wagged her tail in agreement. “Yes. In depth.”

“Of course, Alpha.”

But I wasn’t done yet. I moved towards where I knew training was getting back on track, snarling when Eugene figured out what was going on and moved to block me after I got through the first door.

“She didn’t do anything wrong.”

“She should have turned down the offer, and I’m just going to make it clear to do so in the future,” I told him. “Move.”

He did, but I heard him mumble to himself when I was across the room to the next door I needed. “I wish you gave me this much attention when I was in trouble with you.”

Men. Seriously.

I threw open the door to where the trainees were getting back into place for sparring and threw my power over the room. They dropped to a knee and bared their necks to me. I found who I wanted fast and moved closer but made sure I stayed about ten feet away so my wolf didn’t make a quick grab for her.

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” she panted, getting I was there for her.

“Next time a man in my bed is an idiot, turn down his chivalrous offer, yeah?”

“Yes, of course. Sorry.”

“Do I need to worry about you?” I demanded, not satisfied with what she said for some reason.

She shook her head, glancing around but then swallowing loudly. “No, Alpha. I don’t want him or to get involved. I’m—the Beta of my pack tossed me aside when there was another idiot virgin for him to lie to, and then I was just used garbage for others to try and play with. I hated everything, and when I saw the recruiting at the APA event—this is my chance.

“I don’t want that life and men defining who I am. I want to be more than that and trained to be the stronger one. I want to… We’re better than we’ve been treated, and that’s what I’m here for. Not men. I’m sorry. I was studying late and not thinking. He tossed it at me and—I should have been more respectful.”

“I get it,” I forgave when she went to ramp back up, my wolf chilling out as well. “My wolf is on uneven footing since my last power jump thing. And it’s a recurring theme that too many female shifters try to poach like it’s a godsdamn game we should all treat each other like shit.”

“Because we’re raised that we’re only worth the men next to us, and it sticks to some of them, twists them up,” she said sadly.

“Amen, Sister.” I went to leave and then moved closer and ran my hand over her hair. “Good for you. Seriously, good for you for demanding more for yourself and future. You got this.”

“Thank you, Alpha.”

I headed back towards the exit and stopped where Eugene was. “You know which pack she’s from?”

“Yes.”

“Close?”

“Louisville.”

“Let’s add it to the books to meet that asshole and have a chat about how his guys treat the women of his pack.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

I gave Axel a warning look that he better not step a toe out of line again before I left the back way so we didn’t have to go back past the media. It turned out the spectacle was over, the congressman hightailing it back to the airport instead of trying to defend himself to Chicago people. He’d go spin it around and lie out his ass on his turf.

And some idiots would probably listen, but at least we got the truth out there.

That was most of my upset. I knew that, and Axel had just pushed me over the edge. I’d been pissed when Brian had been called to testify at some hearing last-minute and that meant him getting on a plane. I’d been pissed at a lot lately.

All valid but yeah, I was pissed.

I got back on the line with actual important work and told British Intelligence the rest of what I knew which wasn’t much. I hated that and that my amazing covers were all blown now. Maybe once there could have been a chance for someone else to have slipped into them, but the current president had named the covers.

How he’d even gotten them or what he’d thought to do besides fuck with me I wasn’t sure, but he’d pissed off a lot of people with that move. He framed it as draining the swamp of DC and more, but how the fuck did giving the undercover details of an agent’s cases and past do that in his small mind?

But his fucked-in-the-head followers had loved him for it. I was everything they hated. A filthy liberal and disgusting supe. Rich. A strong woman. I was pretty sure there was more to the list.

I was pretty sure I didn’t fucking care and they could all go suck it.

The end result was the covers were all blown and so many hours of work out the window. There had also been a mad dash to get others out of their deep cover ops as well because they’d used some of my work to build upon even if I’d been out of the game. There were a lot of blondes in the world who could pass for me, and putting the puzzle together wasn’t always easy.

Until the names were given. Asshole.

Seriously, president or not, that man better not ever see me alone in an alley or he might have one less shriveled ball to scratch instead of using his head.

I had some other things to do as Alpha, but then I was back home about the time that Axel would be arriving. My wolf was agitated and not about to be calm still, so I sighed and simply let her have her way.

“This is her show,” I told Sander as I handed him my stuff. I shrugged when he raised an eyebrow and simply undressed.

Yup, my wolf wanted to be a wolf and wait for her tiger.

It was a miracle I hadn’t lost my damn mind yet.

I was pacing along the line of vehicles by his spot when he finally arrived. He was half an hour later than when I would have expected after telling him to get his ass right home. But that was Chicago traffic.

Something I’d reminded my wolf.

Repeatedly.

He was in front of me seconds after he’d parked and shut off his truck. “I didn’t know you’d be waiting. I picked up an apology on the way home.” He swallowed loudly when my wolf growled. “I’m sorry. I should have checked. You said to get my ass to you, and I assumed that was no staying late or—I’m sorry. It was all for you.”

My wolf settled when she smelled Portillo’s. Person or animal, we fucking loved that place which amused just about every other shifter I knew since they wanted their meat raw as an animal.

Or like alive.

Gross.

I chomped down the Italian beef in one bite and then the second. My wolf wanted to see what else he had, pleased that there was lots that he had thought to get besides just dinner.

But none of it was for her, but me, so she was annoyed at that.

“Can I brush you later?” Axel asked, understanding his fuckup was with her mostly.

She liked that and simmered down some, especially since she knew how else I was planning to punish him. She nodded and led the way to the elevator, my security trying not to be amused at all of this.

Smart because they would be in trouble next if they did.

Axel took everything from Sander, and we were alone when we reached my apartment. He unlocked the door and let us in, and I shifted back the moment we were inside. I ignored I was naked and took the food from him.

“I got you flowers,” he muttered after he locked up behind us and set all my stuff on the counter.

“I saw. Sit.” I grabbed my phone as he did and made the call I’d set up. “Hi, is this Kyle?”

“This is,” the voice replied, his tone hesitant.

“This is Alpha Sera Thomas, you sent me a Valentine’s Day present?”

“Oh, Alpha, hello. How are you?”

“I wanted to thank you for the gift, it was lovely. Normally, I don’t accept gifts from strangers, but I found it interesting that you’re a tiger,” I said as I sat down, knowing I had Axel’s full attention. I smirked at my tiger as I opened my food. “And I currently have a misbehaving kitty that I need to punish, and I thought you might be the answer to that.”

“Oh? I don’t like to step on turf, but I’m a man who likes to have fun with a beautiful woman, so tell me what you have in mind, Alpha.”

So I did. Or more, I hinted and then let him go into great detail about everything he wanted to do to me if I’d let him.

And all in front of Axel to punish him.

He lasted about ten minutes until the guy offered to bring a friend so they could double-stuff me and the strange tiger could have anal sex with me. Before Axel. That was the line. That was where his patience snapped.

“Don’t fucking come near her,” he roared before grabbing my phone and throwing it across my apartment so it smashed against the wall. “You’re not fucking another tiger. I’m your godsdamn tiger. I’m the one that will fuck you like a tiger. I’m the one who will have your ass—all of you. I would kill any tiger that even looked at a spot next to you!”

He knelt before me with his head lowered, taking several slow breaths in and out and trying to get himself under control. It took him a bit, so I finished eating and waited.

“I’m sorry. I’m really fucking sorry and I’m an asshole. You’re very careful with us and make sure we never have reason to be jealous or feel like you felt this morning. I’m sorry.”

He was, and so I told my wolf it was time to be honest because I didn’t like the pain I was also getting off of him.

“That was Virgil.” I nodded when his head shot up so fast I heard something pop in his neck. “He did some techy thing and changed the pitch of his voice so he sounded different. The whole thing was fake.”

There was relief in his eyes but anger as well that I tricked him.

“Should I have done it for real like my wolf and siren wanted?”

“No, thank you for only teaching me a lesson,” he accepted. He swallowed loudly. “It’s just hard because we said we didn’t like those kinds of games.”

“You’re right,” I accepted. “But Eugene has said multiple times to be extra careful because of my power maturing thingy and we just took our relationship up a notch to the world. So yeah, both sides are pissed and wanted their pound of flesh, and I thought of something not as bad. But they’re not done with you yet.”

He gave me a look that he didn’t think the punishment was fitting the crime.

I actually agreed, but we weren’t just human, and he’d lent his sweatshirt to a woman. “As Sera, I’m not happy because if there is ever a rumor one of the trainers is fucking around with the trainees like there has been at Quantico—we can’t take that scrutiny, Axel.”

“It was just a fucking sweatshirt, Sera. Before coffee,” he sighed.

“I agree.” I gave him a minute to sink in with that. “I’m also protecting her.” I nodded when he frowned. “Do you know what happened to me when a trainer was nice to me for something little and stupid?” I kept nodding when he winced. “I was miserable from the flack I got, and it was unfair and bullshit. So, part of this is so you never, not ever make this misstep again.”

“Because even if stupid to us, other people are stupid,” he mumbled. “Yeah, I know that from working with the council.”

I sighed, my wolf wanting to add something. “Plus, she’s super pissed you did something ‘human’ and that’s why you smelled like another wolf and were disloyal to her. Seriously, this is like 90% being extra.” I told my wolf to stuff it and she was. I could get a bit pissed and even accept her knee-jerk reaction when we were stressed, but she wanted a lot more groveling.

“And she’s the least demanding of the three of you,” he muttered, shrugging when I gave him an annoyed look. “She is. Your wolf takes the back seat all of the time in a way my tiger doesn’t. You aren’t high maintenance, but you are your work, and your job is super fucking high maintenance, Sera. Your wolf gets stuck behind that and a lot.”

I had a moment to wonder if he was saying that just to get in with my wolf because she was about purring at what he’d said and noticing that she didn’t have it easy. Axel wasn’t wrong, but he normally didn’t say things like that.

Then again, maybe he’d been wanting to.

I wiped my hands and then ran them through his soft black hair, staring into those pretty eyes that I could get lost in. They weren’t blue nor green, but something in between and a bit iridescent. He was almost seven feet, so when he was kneeling and I was sitting, he was just as tall as me, and something about that was sexy.

Plus, he was huge.

Oh fuck, everything about Axel was sexy and I wanted that.

I licked my lips as I stared him over, focused on my Alpha bite that still hadn’t healed—and he hadn’t covered—signaling he was in trouble. “You should go shower again. I feel like I can still smell her on what’s mine.”

“I am yours,” he confirmed. “I scrubbed and had others check me.”

“Do it again with my stuff,” I growled.

He nodded and leaned in for a kiss, but I turned my head, letting him only kiss my cheek. He let out a slow breath and then went into the master bedroom before I heard the shower turn on.

I went over to the flowers and smelled them, smiling at how pretty the huge bouquet of orange roses was. He probably couldn’t find yellow at the last minute and went with orange instead. It was what I would have done and honestly, I thought they were prettier.

And it was a bit funny given I was part owner of vast floral greenhouses, but he probably didn’t think of that in his worry to fix things. I honestly appreciated that, and my wolf felt cared for that he cared enough to scramble.

I had a few things to finish up for work and I did it quickly before I brought piles of stuff to look over as Alpha to my bed. I was set up when he finished his shower, looking delicious and almost cute in the way he was hesitant.

“I’m stressed. What does my tiger want to do about that?”

“Everything,” he answered immediately.

“What specifically while he’s making amends?” I pushed.

He kept the towel on around his hips and moved onto the bed with me. I watched like a predator as he crawled between my legs and spread them.

“May I lick my Alpha? I want her on me.” He slowly looked up at me. “Once I’ve pleased you, I ask you rub it on my groin so others can smell it.”

“Good tiger,” I purred. “Let’s see how good of a job you do.” I mentally snorted. Axel never gave me less than amazing.

Sure enough, I was moaning his name moments later as I finished. He did it again and then begged that I sit on his face. The man was so damn addicted to oral sex that honestly he didn’t seem real.

Poor me.

After a dozen big orgasms and tons of tiny ones, I finally pushed him back onto the bed and straddled his lap. His eyes filled with heat, and I went even further, slowly lowering myself on his massive cock.

“You don’t finish,” I warned him. “That’s your punishment. All week you please your Alpha, but you don’t finish.”

“I deserve more than that,” he panted as I rolled my hips. “Much more. You’re too kind to me.”

“Hmmm, I am?” I chuckled as I moved my hands to his chest. “Then what would you offer? Tell me why I should forgive you.”

He didn’t answer right away, watching as I moved in the best kind of dance and took what I wanted from him. “I won’t finish inside of you like I want, but I will keep my stamina strong for when you forgive me.”

He hurried on when I couldn’t hide my anger. How did this idiot think fucking other women would be the answer given what I was pissed about?

“With my hand,” he blurted. “I’ll masturbate all week. Every time I think of being with you and how lucky I am that we’re together. I’ll tell you. I’ll keep count and tell you how many times I jerk off because you’re in my mind and thoughts of you got me bothered.”

My wolf loved it, practically howling inside of me.

But so did my siren.

“You will take pictures for us as well,” she demanded, taking over and moving faster. “I want to see each time the cock that is ours is spent from thoughts of us. I would demand video, but Sera would make you focus on work, and your stamina is impressive. Pictures.”

“Yes,” he hissed. “Every time. Every time I want you.”

“Why do they find something so pervy so damn hot?” I wondered, moving faster. “Fuck, they’re flooding me with happy. Holy shit.” I came and then moved off of him. “Lick me now that you’ve been inside of me. Then fuck me on my back. My wolf wants you to fuck me and then watch you finish with your hand. What is going on?”

“It’s a shifter thing,” he chuckled. “Can I kiss you?”

I checked with them. “After you finish with your hand.” I shivered when he growled but loved every second of what he did to me. It was glorious, and I ached so good when he was done with me. Then I watched as he stroked his cock so roughly that I couldn’t believe it.

Wow, tigers really were extra. He kept my gaze mostly, but his eyes drifted lower to my sexed-up body but mostly my dripping pussy. The man licked his lips, and I got the image of him dying for another taste. I ran my fingers through my wetness and offered it to him, moaning when he licked them and finished.

Fuck, that was hot.

I gave him his kiss and let him hold me for a bit before I really had to look over more stuff as Alpha. I talked to him a bit about some of it, but then my wolf wanted her attention.

I shifted again and Axel took care brushing her and petting her. Then he shifted to a tiger and offered his belly and throat just to her. We played a bit, or really my wolf pounced on him playfully a few times. We couldn’t do more than that in an apartment.

I was the owner, not rude.

We changed back and then he was on me again. He screwed me on the counter and then pulled out before finishing by his hand. It was like some weird denial game, but my wolf and siren were really, really happy about it, so clearly it was a thing.

A thing Axel was thrilled to know from the way he smirked as we crawled into bed to sleep.

Yeah, fine, he might have gotten something good from me that night… But I’d gotten a few things from him too.

Like my tiger wanted to play with floggers.

And not using them on me. Nice.

3

A week later it was the first day of the full moon cycle and my mind was on the joint event that night. Hagan had everything covered since Reagan was readjusting to being back from Quantico, but it was still a lot to juggle, and I worried about him basically running the pack all on his own.

“We have media,” Carter warned me as we pulled into the office.

“Why?” I sighed… Well, really whined, but either way, it was valid.

“Oh shit,” Emilio hissed, scrolling his finger along his phone. “The president signed an executive order to cancel supe immigration. As of this moment, it’s dead in the water. No supes allowed in the country.”

I wasn’t the only one who groaned. “Okay, let’s go handle the next headache that is our lives.” I got out and let my security keep a comfortable path for me and to get out of there if needed, but I did stop in front of the group of reporters shouting for me.

“Are you going to actually follow the new law, Chief Thomas?” one voice demanded above the others. “Will you keep supes out of the country like the president declared?”

“First, an executive order isn’t a law,” I clarified. “As a division chief of the FBI, I always make sure people follow the laws. I will continue to do my job as always.” I gave them a moment with that. “That’s my official response as Chief Thomas. Now, as Alpha of the Chicago wolves and other areas, and a proud citizen of this country, my answer is vastly different.

“We are a nation built of immigrants. The process must be orderly and handled with care to never harm our citizens. As the Alpha who signs off on the applications personally, I always take that into account and do my due diligence. Not one supe who I’ve sponsored has gotten more than a damn speeding ticket.

“And three miles over the limit was just being petty in my opinion, but the law is driving the speed limit and they paid the fine. The immigration policy was put into law by Congress and specifically states it cannot be canceled unless two-thirds of Congress votes to do so.

“Each state has its own rules and regulations. That’s not something one man can just waive or shut down no matter his title. That’s the beauty of our three branches of government. So for the moment, we have no pending applications, and we won’t put any forward while the courts strike this down—if they’re not already.

“And personally, I hope someone files a civil suit of some sort for going after supes only. If there was a genuine problem with too many people in the US, it would have been all immigration but no, only supes were targeted. And we’re protected by law here, so someone should maybe remind people of that. I’m a citizen just as any human.

“Hell, I’d go toe-to-toe with just about anyone complaining about me being a citizen as a supe while waving the flag because I’ve bled for my country and to protect it. A lot. Until others can say the same, they maybe should stop lecturing me and mine.”

I ignored the other questions and headed inside, frowning and not because of what was going on. I waved off people and went right for my office and called Jason.

“You were good on the news,” he praised, clearly someone having broadcast my response live.

“What are you hearing?”

“Not a lot which is shocking,” he grumbled. “I had no word of this.”

“Me neither but whatever, he’s a loose cannon. He could have woken on a whim and wanted attention, so he signed something else crazy.”

“Right, but the people pushing him around like a toddler aren’t all crazy,” he worried. “So why do this? All I’ve heard is that ICE is abuzz.”

“ICE?” I whispered, my eyes going wide. “Supes aren’t even their jurisdiction. Yeah, fine, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has immigration in the name, but all supe everything is FBI.”

He was quiet a moment. “What the fuck else did he sign? What if he signed something saying he was giving ICE the authority for this?”

“Even if he did, this won’t stick, Jas. It’s going to be struck by one judge or another by tomorrow and…” Tomorrow was the full moon.

When all shifters gathered on their group lands.

Like fish in a barrel.

Fuck

“I gotta go,” I barely blurted before I hung up and called Haton.

“What are you hearing?” she greeted.

“Nothing, but I think I know the play.”

“How?” she demanded. “This makes no sense. We’re already working with Queen Laila to file an—”

“I’ve got Apollo,” Carter announced as he came into my office without even knocking.

“Wait, let’s get him, Haton, and Laila on the one line,” I countered. “And not an FBI line.” I shrugged when his eyes went wide. “We record everything. The president and his people could have access to that or demand it.”

It took next to no time to set up, but after a moment we all called into Haton so she could talk all at once without a problem. I was glad when Councilman Antony also got on because he was a senior council member—and maybe the eldest of them—and could make calls on his own.

“Look, I know this makes no sense and we all know it will be shot down,” I started. “You guys will have it handled by Monday.”

“They wanted the full moon,” Antony muttered. “We just don’t know why.”

“Because we’re the good guys and you’re thinking on the defense,” I explained. “Now think like we’re the bad guys because we are to these people.”

“The full moon gatherings,” Haton hedged. “But why? Most of the packs aren’t immigrants or in any danger from this.”

“No, but you haven’t seen an ICE raid,” I said with a sigh. “It’s a clusterfuck. And I mean clusterfuck to the extreme. And that’s what they want because everyone there is named. How many supes still haven’t come out as being supes?”

“Over half at least,” Apollo muttered. “Humans think they know how many of us there are, but they truly have no clue.”

“Exactly. This is to get more of us named,” I told them firmly. “And the location of shifter lands. Once that information is out there, you can’t pull it back. It doesn’t matter how many layers we’ve put stuff under, it will be in the police blotter that an ICE raid went down there. It will be in news reports and all over the internet forever.

“And yes, people can prove that they’re not on visas, but they have to show that. That means they get named in the raid and there’s a fucking list of who was there. And why would you be there on a pack’s lands unless you were a shifter? You will never convince anyone otherwise. You’ll be a target to these nutfucks. That is the goal. To get these nutfucks more targets.”

“I don’t disagree with you, Seraphine, but you’re making a lot of assumptions here,” Apollo said after a moment.

“Is she?” Queen Laila pushed back. “Is this not exactly what she did for that evil church? She went into their turf with an excuse and pushed over the first domino. I honestly think she is not seeing the full scope of their mischief. Just like that evil church, you pushed one and many were stupid, and you got them all.

“What if one agent pushes a young shifter who cannot control themselves? Or as Seraphine says, it’s chaos and someone gets hurt in that. Scratched. How many will be shot? Then you are nothing but animals and feral to be hunted. I think there are multiple layers and goals here. If I was to order my people to start a war with shifters, this is how I would do it.”

Fuck, she was completely right.

“That’s terrifying, but I agree with Queen Laila,” Haton muttered. “The question is what do we do?”

“Legally, this isn’t the jurisdiction of ICE,” I told them. “Jason wondered what the president signed but again, that won’t hold up, so for now we follow the rules.”

“How?” Antony pushed.

I let out a slow breath. “Look, this is the one time we’re all going to have to be the best of friends and work together. Vamp, bear, wolf, fairy—it doesn’t matter this full moon. First, anyone not out as a shifter cannot gather. They’re going to have to deal with this full moon alone or somewhere away from eyes. It sucks, but it’s got to happen or they’ll out themselves.”

“That’s easy enough,” Antony muttered. “We just order everyone to cancel any full moon gatherings.”

“I worry how that will pan out the next plan they make,” Apollo hedged.

“Or what they do if they find pack lands empty,” I added. “If they’re empty, they’re coming right to my apartment building assuming everyone is just here. That’s what they’ll do for every group, and then you have home addresses and more. No, I get wanting to do that, but they will get one shot at this before the injunctions and chips land, we have to make sure it’s a blank.”

“How do you suggest we handle it then?” Laila asked. “You would have Dain present. An attorney.”

“Yes, and record it,” I said firmly. “It needs to be the coolest heads. No poking, and I know it’s amusing that I’m the one saying that, but their goal could also be to have some of us in jail on the full moon. That wouldn’t do much but annoy us and hurt from not eating but well, twisted minds think I’m a dog.”

“And it’s a chance for more accidents,” Haton muttered. “There are some places that have laws against filming the police.”

“Not on private property,” I chuckled darkly. “And there aren’t any against federal agents, which ICE is. It needs to be anyone out as a supe, ready with their identification, and calmly state they know their rights and they would like to call my office as they believe they’re being illegally targeted as a supe and we handle such crimes. That’s it.

“Let them check IDs. A few home addresses of Alphas will probably get out on ‘accident,’ but the alternative is way, way worse. And if a vamp is the coolest head around, then let them take lead. No pride because this has to be done right. We can make all the trouble for them Monday, but in this moment, no one can blink.”

“What about a human civil attorney?” Laila asked after a moment.

“Yes, good. Hire as many as we can and send them to packs, but we don’t know when they’re doing it,” I said honestly. “I would think my pack would be targeted tonight because they probably know we have the joint gathering tonight. If I was trying to get bad guys, I would hit us tonight.” I snorted. “I did hit the New York City pack like that.”

“Oh fuck,” Carter whispered. “Melicent.”

“She has diplomatic immunity,” I muttered. “She’s on a vacation visa that gets renewed like nothing or whatever but yeah, we’ve gotta warn her and her temper to not cut someone’s head off.”

“At least you were smart enough to figure this out first,” Haton praised.

“And ICE doesn’t have much of a budget,” I added. “There are maybe twenty thousand ICE agents in total. They can’t all leave facilities and go into the field at once, and a lot are stationed out of the country. So we need to assume the goal is to get the locations named. That probably means pack lands specifically as wolves are the only ones mostly who see that as a huge thing.”

“You’re also the biggest shifter group and receive the most hate because of it,” Haton added.

“Yup,” I sighed.

We went over some more details and plans, but then we got on the phone with everyone. I personally spoke with Alphas under me and Melicent on how to handle the situation.

I also talked to a lot of allies like Atkins over at ATF who slipped me the info he could. We got as much into place and covered as many people as we could. I paid for human attorneys to get out to smaller packs and talked to the Alphas that it was the best coverage and to trust me.

I was honest that most of the pack lands would get outed. Their homes and businesses probably as well. The goal was for the other side to do as much damage as possible but fuck the house or people knowing the address if everyone survived.

Everyone wasn’t on board with the plan, and several told me to stuff it, but once the council made the declaration to get in line and we were doing this together as a community, they were scary enough to make it happen.

I hoped so at least.

A few had other ideas or were worried about hunters slipping in pretending to be ICE agents. One said they knew the local sheriff well and wanted to call them in when it went down. I agreed. If they had someone they could trust to mediate or keep eyes that everyone behaved, even better.

The problem was that in too many areas the local police would be more of a problem.

I told people again and again to answer nothing. All of the Alphas were US citizens. ICE couldn’t do a damn thing with them. They could ask and demand anything and everything they wanted, but the Alphas didn’t have to answer or give them anything. Lock their phones. Don’t bring anything to be taken with information.

Basically, be smart. No kids at the shifter lands to be used against anyone. No endangered shifters that we kept quiet because of hunters. No matter what was said, we were to keep respectful but firm that we knew what this was and weren’t dancing like they wanted us to. Nothing else.

And I planned on showing the example in a big way… By livestreaming it.

I was at the pack lands earlier than normal, and my hunch was right that they sent someone who outranked me to try and intimidate me.

Good luck with that.

The cameras were rolling the moment strange cars pulled into our parking lot. He was out first and announced who he was and what was going on.

“You don’t have jurisdiction,” I said firmly. “My office does for any supe crimes.”

“The president gave us the authorization and—”

“Which won’t hold up,” I chuckled darkly. “And you have no warrant.”

“We have—”

“A directive from the president,” I purred, smirking when his eyes flashed shock. “Yes, I’m read-in on what you have for this supposed ICE raid from a tip. The tip came from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and we all know it. You also broke protocol for not looping in the agency with the actual jurisdiction, just as I would call you if I thought there was an immigration situation.”

The guy, Miller, studied me a moment and seemed to realize I wasn’t going to be a pushover or an idiot.

Why did these assholes still think I was a moron? Seriously, why did having a penis mean that much to so many?

“No matter how this all plays out, your office just burned a lot of bridges because no matter if people like me or not, I’m FBI and you came after one of us.”

“This isn’t about you, Thomas. Don’t go throwing a fit and—”

“I’ve not even raised my voice. Don’t give me that shit that I’m being a hysterical woman because I’m calling you on your crap.” I raised an eyebrow when anger filled his eyes.

“I’m just doing my job. I’m following orders just like you have.”

I snorted. “I would have fucking called in sick. This is dirty and you know it.” I ignored him and looked at the others with him. “Your directive will be struck down within the week. Your authority with supes as well. We all know it.”

“We have a job and—” he tried again.

“Yeah, I got that. You’re being complicit on this, but I’m doing my job too before I stand here as Alpha.” I focused back on his people. “Any misstep will land any ICE agent in front of me since supes are my jurisdiction. I get you and your people are in a tight spot following orders, but I’m here to tell you to follow the rules.

“If any of you step a toenail out of line, I will come at you with all I can. I will know who is lying, and so help me that if one ICE agent hurts a supe or does something they shouldn’t, they will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. And no directive can sidestep that.” I met the gaze of Miller. “I’d warn all of your people. Now.

“Because I’ve already got calls out to every Alpha and supe I could, and they all know how to get in touch with me or the council. The moment anyone does something they’re not supposed to, it will be reported to me, and their ass is mine. I don’t blame you guys for being stuck in this even if I would have used a sick day and others did, but do it right. That’s the only warning you get.”

And he believed me. I saw it in his eyes that he fully believed me.

One of the agents told Freddie to stop recording and Dain snorted, introducing himself and demanding to see the directives and orders. The forty of us who were adults, out as shifters, and able to control our shift handed over our IDs.

“Where are the rest of your pack?” Miller asked me. “People say it’s over five hundred.”

I smirked at him. “Now why would that matter if you’re here to find some illegal immigrants?” I snorted when he flinched. “Yeah, just doing your job. Talk to my attorney.”

The man who accused me of throwing a fit proceeded to throw a huge fit and demand answers in my face. I stared at him the whole time, not keeping the bored expression off my face, and let him go on and on.

“Thomas, are you fucking listening to me?” he finally bellowed.

“No, I’m thinking of my grocery list,” I answered honestly. “I’m sorry if you didn’t hear me say to speak to my attorney or if leadership in ICE doesn’t believe in attorneys, but we do in the FBI.” I snapped my fingers. “Right, you must not know. An attorney is someone who protects the rights of people—”

“Do you want to be arrested?” he snapped.

I snorted. “You arrest me and you’re out of a job and we both know it. I’m pretty sure my boss is already on the phone with yours giving them an earful.”

“No one gives a shit what Havers says or thinks anymore now that you’ve corrupted him and turned him into one of you,” he bitched. “You took a good man and ruined his career and made him a beast. It sickens me.”

I hadn’t actually meant Havers but well, I was glad this asshole was saying it all on camera. One of his guys tried to get Freddie to shut off the camera again, but I shot him a warning look that I would eat him, so he backed off.

Miller kept going and I couldn’t hide my shock… But Carter was amused.

Enzo. Enzo was there doing something. How had he gotten there so fast? Or maybe Enzo had sent someone?

Wait, sirens could agitate with their power. Eva had talked about that with me a few times, but I was too young to do it.

But the visiting sirens who had visas with the pack and mostly handled the siren show at the club weren’t. Well, I would guess they weren’t. I didn’t know for sure.

Either way, something was clearly going on and I was in the dark about it. That was probably best for the moment, and my shock he was going too far probably sold the whole thing.

Even Miller’s people were looking at him like he was off his rocker.

“Are you normally this unstable?” I finally cut in, not hiding my disgust. “Seriously, you’re—this isn’t okay. You’re talking like you’re annoyed you didn’t find a bunch of naked women like this is a strip club you thought you’d have fun at. Is this whole bust about you wanting to catch us naked?”

“No, it’s why we came earlier than the time we were told you normally gathered, Chief Thomas,” one of the guys said firmly, shooting Miller a disgusted look. “We know you have teenagers who have to undress to change forms. That in particular made several of us uncomfortable.”

“I’m glad to hear it because Miller sounds like it was a perk.”

Miller blew after that, talking about wanting to whip me like an animal—as if that was acceptable ever—for trying to turn this around on him. He ranted about getting me chained and locked up, but seriously it sounded more like a fucked BDSM fantasy.

“Take a walk,” I told Hagan when I saw him struggling. I looked at a few of the guys. “Don’t even tell me you wouldn’t have the same reaction if he was talking about your partner. He’s not just my Beta, but we’re involved. Let him take a walk. Respect a former Marine that much.”

Several had already held their hands up in surrender, but that pushed over the others, Hagan turning on his heel and storming away from us.

“As Sera’s attorney, I suggest you shut your mouth before your rants land you in even more hot water,” Dain bit out after a bit more. “As her husband, I suggest you stop threatening her before I take it seriously and you learn what it means to threaten the wife of a fairy.”

I bit back a sigh when I realized what Dain was doing, and Miller turned his tirade off of me and to Dain and all fairies. The bile that came out of the man’s mouth about their “magic” and “tricks” was downright gross.

More vehicles arrived in the parking lot and I bit back a sigh. Seriously, what now?

I did a double take when I saw Marshall from the AG’s office get out of the first vehicle with steam practically coming out of his ears. I’d worked with him several times on cases, and he was generally a calm and polite man that didn’t like a fuss.

Except when he got to start them it seemed.

“Everyone here stand down,” he declared. “The acting United States Attorney General is declaring all of this illegal and a serious overreach of executive powers.”

“He’s out of a job if he does,” one of Miller’s guys muttered.

Marshall shrugged. “He doesn’t care. This is a hill he’ll die on he said, and this is bullshit. This isn’t the job of ICE, and we all know that one of the bigwigs of ICE flying out here for a tip to try and tarnish Chief Thomas was a setup. And the Illinois AG will die on the hill to protect her.”

“Okay, even I find that shocking,” I muttered. “I thought he hated me.” I winced as I remembered this was all live.

Marshall snorted. “You’re always involved in complicated and messy cases, Chief Thomas. He just yells a lot then. He respects your career and decorated service. Immensely. That one ruling, and we’ve been taking more and more cocaine off the streets and protecting our citizens. You’ve put away more criminals than most can in an entire career.”

“I do what I can.” I shrugged when several people snorted.

Marshall narrowed his eyes when Miller exploded that they had no right and I was going to end up in jail tonight. “That won’t happen. I’m here to escort you back to your plane and kick you back to DC. And I’ll be taking the logs and ‘evidence’ collected. The US AG is very concerned this is all a ploy to dox supes.”

“You are not the only one who agrees that’s the real goal here,” I said firmly, nodding when the other ICE agents all glanced at each other. “The current administration campaigned on demanding all supes registered in a public list like we were fucking sex offenders. That was never going to fly and they had to know that.

“But if we were included in some ICE roundups and then lists leaked? Oh whoops, but that happens. There isn’t one illegal supe immigrant in all of Chicago or any of my packs or areas. But Chicago especially, and I bet no one here from ICE even knows why. That is the kicker of all of this. You guys don’t even know the rules of what you’re saying we’re pulling.”

“You cannot come into a shifter’s territory without the Alpha’s permission,” Marshall explained when the others glanced between themselves. “There isn’t a wolf in Chicago that isn’t supposed to be here or it’s a big deal. The rules of Illinois are also clear that any supe immigrant must be granted the visa before they enter the country. So none are here.”

4

Things actually moved fast once the other ICE agents realized they weren’t following marching orders but were really the assholes of the story. I thanked Marshall and his people, walking off to the side when he nodded for me to.

Ignoring all the supes there would still hear.

“From what we know, twelve packs were raided and all because they had gatherings like you do,” he told me, doing a double take at whatever was on my face. “You knew.”

“Educated guesses,” I clarified. “Twelve isn’t as bad as I’d worried.”

“You need to know they weighed the options of getting more tomorrow or knowing they could have a higher-up try for you and your pack today,” he said gently. “This is shut down for now, but this isn’t going anywhere. The hate is growing.”

“It always does. Thanks for the heads-up. Keep me updated if you can? Off the record.”

He studied me a moment and nodded. “That, I can do.”

“And off the record, the next time you want to take out your wife, you’ll get a nice discount at the club. I’ll make sure of it for anyone in your office or the AG.”

“I’ll take it,” he chuckled. “You’ve never been under investigation where it would be a conflict so—I could use a damn night out with my wife.”

“Yeah, we all work too fucking hard,” I whispered as I glanced around at the chaos. “I’m so tired of playing defense on all of this.”

“Then don’t.” He smirked at me when I frowned. “You’re a very intelligent person, Thomas. You know when to push back to get the right result and where. I wasn’t kidding about that cocaine bust. You did something amazing. I doubt that’s the last trick you have up your sleeve.”

I thanked him and thought about what he’d said, watching as the humans all left and tuning out the rest. Then I undressed and shifted so my wolf could get some of her aggression out at our land being invaded. We hated that the fight was brought to our backyard.

But maybe that was the answer…

I ran full speed for thirty minutes before shifting back and redressing. “I’ll call you later,” I told Hagan and Reagan. “I have an idea. Keep the pack safe.” Emilio went to take the keys from me but backed off when I shook my head. I wanted to focus on the drive so I could let my brain wander a bit.

By the time I was home, I had the idea fleshed out.

“I’m taking a quick shower and packing a bag. Do the same if you’re coming with me.”

“Where are we going?” Emilio asked, his tone worried.

“Alabama.” I didn’t wait for an answer, heading inside and taking the world’s quickest shower before heading for my overnight bag.

Only to find Dain there packing for me.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

He nodded. “I wish I could go with you, but I cannot leave my son when things are this tumultuous.”

“I agree,” I said gently when I felt his upset like he was picking. “I’m only going because I know you’re here to protect him.”

He let out a slow breath. “I’m having a hard time not judging you for being able to leave him when that monster said he would see our son in a foster home with humans and away from us. And more.”

I opened my mouth but then closed it. “I didn’t hear that part.” I nodded when he frowned. “I tuned out as much as I could. I’ve dealt with a lot of that shit over my years and more, but I was on edge and pissed the system failed us again. So yeah, I was thinking of anything else I could and only caught parts. It was all bullshit anyways.”

“And that’s why you’re Alpha, my love,” he praised, giving me a soft kiss.

“I’m going to need your help to coordinate all of this and make it happen,” I hedged.

“Always.”

Five minutes later I was ready to go and saying goodbye to Topher. I gave him love and projected images that I had to go handle bad people, glad when he got it. I chuckled when the little stinker said as long as he got more of what he wanted, he would behave.

But he was scared. Everyone was on edge.

“Daddy will be here and protect you,” I promised, feeling Dain there. “Topher’s been feeling the upset and now I’m leaving. You might want to chill with him while making calls. Also, he promises to be good if he gets more scrambled eggs and whatever Maya did with tofu recently.”

“He did gobble both up,” Maya confirmed.

“We’re really related,” I teased, nodding when Topher gave me a confused look. “I love scrambled eggs and tofu. Not together, but I love both.” I nodded when I got something and gave him a quick kiss. I gave Maya a tight smile. “He wants to try more of the new foods with his dads. He adores you but—”

“It’s a time to bond,” she accepted. “I will make sure of it. Thank you for letting me know.”

I got one last thing from Topher and laughed. “He’s missed Reagan and wants to try dragons with his dad.” I smiled when everyone there was confused. “Dragon fruit. He doesn’t understand it doesn’t come from dragons. He’s eight months old. I know it’s hard to remember, but he is.”

“Yeah, buddy, we’ll try them,” Reagan promised. He smiled when I handed Topher to him. “We can even dress like dragons as we eat them.”

We all laughed when Topher squealed in delight. He might not have understood the words, but clearly an image he got from Reagan made him super happy.

“You better do whatever you thought about,” I told Reagan.

He went pale and immediately handed off Topher to Maya before pulling me out into the hallway. “It was just a thought. I’m sorry.”

I was overwhelmed by his fear and worry that I couldn’t even form words.

“He thought about siblings for Topher,” Dain explained, having followed us.

I swallowed loudly. “Okay, well, that is a conversation for another day and not soon given what just happened today.” I reached up and moved my fingers over Reagan’s lips. “But I’m going to see what I can do to help that it’s a possibility in the future, okay? I’m not upset.”

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too. Find a dragon outfit to wear with your son.”

Relief filled his eyes. “I will. You’ll be safe?”

“As safe as any of us can be. Keep them safe here.”

“Always.” He gave me a scorching kiss that was meant more as a hello and let’s get into bed than a goodbye, but I still loved it.

I received kisses from Hagan and Dain and then I was on the elevator. Ten ancients were waiting for me with vehicles loaded and ready to go.

“Hold up,” Brian called over, his voice echoing in the parking garage.

I turned and winced at the anger in his eyes, my wolf sending out power that he would dare challenge us. Brat.

He stumbled in his step but kept moving. He swallowed loudly and took my hand with his ring on it. “I’m not—we maybe need a rule that neither of us leave the state without talking, yeah?”

“That’s fair, but we’re on a time crunch because I can’t fly.” I was glad when he chilled then.

“It more seemed like you were sneaking out so you could sneak away,” Eugene said as he joined us.

“I only sneak for undercover work.” I leaned in and rubbed my cheek against his. “The twins are in charge, but I need you to protect everyone too.”

“Done.”

“Wait, I—how do you know where she’s going?” Brian demanded.

“Because you were so busy being afraid for her watching the livestream, you didn’t see what comes next, pup,” Axel said easily. He moved Eugene aside and kissed me. “I’m coming. You know I’ll help. I’ll get things done here and use your plane.”

“Good. Yes, get as many as you can.” I leaned in and kissed Brian. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“I’m so confused,” he sighed.

“I’m going to change some hearts and minds on their turf,” I explained. “We need to get on the road.”

“To where?” he pushed.

“Alabama.” I nodded when his eyes flashed shock. “Don’t tell anyone, Boy Scout.”

“I won’t.”

For once. Well, okay, that wasn’t totally fair, but Brian could be such a twit.

A loveable one because I loved him but yeah… Twit.

The moment we were on the expressway, we were on our phones and calling who we needed to before it got too late.

“Huntsville isn’t too far,” Carter muttered. “You could get food trucks from there. Tomorrow is Sunday. You’ll get a lot of churchgoers after services let out. If this works.”

“It better work for what I’m already paying,” I muttered, nodding for him to go ahead.

“We have a location,” Rayne said over the long-range walkie-talkies that we’d brought again.

“Thank fuck,” I whispered, knowing that would be our biggest hurdle.

“How? Where?” Carter asked, having had the radio on his lap.

“Apparently, Queen Laila got annoyed with all the people shutting us down and not wanting to get involved. She bought a foreclosed motel. We can use the parking lot, and it’s right by some of the biggest churches in the area. It will get us the attention. All of the attention.”

“Good.” I snorted. That woman had less patience than I did. What the hell would she do with a place like that? Then again, she could make it into some awesome shop selling an array of everything from supes.

If we could make it safe for the people who lived there. There were no supes in that part of Alabama. They’d all been chased out or just knew never to expand there.

Yeah, it was that bad.

I called her directly to thank her and told her about my idea of getting vertical banners printed.

“I am missing the point,” she admitted.

“People who aren’t used to us, don’t understand. They know that we’re people, but the connection isn’t always made,” I explained, telling her about how I’d had to show even a Chicago cop a picture of one of my wolves to get him to understand it wasn’t just a wolf, but a person in front of him. “If we have a banner of the shifters coming, people can see both.”

“Smart. Very smart, my friend. I will see it done and get them out on the next plane with my people.”

I blinked at my tablet. “Your people?”

She elegantly snickered. “You didn’t think I would miss out on this fun, did you? No, fairies will support you as always. This is a wise move.”

I sighed, knowing exactly what she also had planned. “Plus, you sent protection in case this goes south.”

“That is not mutually exclusive. I love you as well, my friend.”

Yeah, I’d do the same for her and I said as much. But it wasn’t the time for all of us to be stretched so thin and spread out, so I was glad it was a quick trip and adventure.

It was over nine hours from Chicago to Florence, Alabama, and after four hours I texted Phobie that I was ready to start working on my fear of planes. It was ridiculous that I was putting my security through this instead of a short flight. She replied she was glad and ready to start the slow process.

I sighed. It would take a while for sure, but I always wanted everything to be done yesterday. It was good she would always remind me things took time but yeah, sometimes I wanted to smack her for that.

There were a lot of times she wanted to smack me as well.

We’d left before seven on a Saturday night, so most of our headache was getting the right people at night to handle something the next day. Most of which would need to be done by late morning no less.

Still, once people realized this was legit and a big payday, people suddenly knew how to get in touch with other owners. A few shut me right down when they heard I was a supe, but I just moved on. That was their right. If they’d turned me away because I was supe when I went to their restaurant or food truck, that was very different.

It sucked, but having freedom meant acknowledging the assholes had them as well.

“Five food trucks are confirmed,” Dain told me when I called him.

“Assume a few will fuck with us,” I muttered, my eyes getting tired from my tablet.

“They already signed contracts and accepted deposits.”

I snorted. “That would just make screwing us over even better. Assume that will be half of the fun and trying to embarrass us as being mean when we ask for our money back or go after them for breach of contract.”

“I hate this is the world we live in,” he sighed.

“Me too, but it’s better to accept it and be prepared,” I said gently.

“It is.”

By the time we arrived, we had ten food trucks and seven local restaurants who were normally closed on Sunday that were going to do some catering just for us… And for a hefty price.

Carter moved in front of the door when I went to climb out. “Pups sleep now. Let us who need little sleep and the new help coming in handle the leg work, okay?” He went on when I tried to argue. “We all agree it’s a good idea and want to help. Let us. Plus, you need to get some rest for the patience you’ll need to pull this off. Please, darling?”

I sighed, nodding. “Let me just see it and pee. I’m too keyed up to sleep yet. Give me twenty minutes to burn off the energy seeing the spot and plans, and I can maybe crash then.”

“Deal.”

Even better, I let my wolf out and listened to everyone as her so we could stretch our legs after such a long ride. Everything was in order—better than I had originally thought even.

Laila was amazing. She could pull the wedding of the year out of her ass in under six hours. I would bet my fortune on that. Seriously.

I kept my end of the deal and crashed for a few hours. We’d arrived at five in the morning so it wasn’t like I had that much time.

And yes, we sped to make it there when we’d had to stop a few times for gas and the bathroom. It seemed ancient vampires had just as big of lead feet as I did.

They let me sleep longer than I should have, and I shot Carter a dirty look when I got out of the SUV. He only shook his head and pointed to my right.

To Dain.

I gasped and went over to him. “What—how?”

“You own a few planes, my love,” he chuckled and hugged me. “Brian won’t let anything happen to Topher no matter what. I was being—my anger and upset took the front seat.”

His fear as well. I knew that. “Who else?”

“Hagan stayed with Brian and Eugene,” he answered, knowing where my sleepy brain was. “Reagan came as your guard as you should have just in case. But we have an array of shifters. Even Horton is here.”

“That will make the kids happy,” I chuckled. How many kids would ever get to touch a polar bear? “And every shifter is paired up with a few fairies to talk for them?”

“Yes.”

It turned out we had fifteen food trucks from Huntsville and ten local restaurants. The whole section of parking lot was a huge festival ready to go basically.

I hurried to get cleaned up and in place at the entrance. It was perfect timing because the first group was walking up as I did, practically chugging an iced latte.

Fine, not practically. I chugged it.

“Is this open to the public?” a man in the front of the group asked.

“It is,” I said with a smile. I glanced behind him and got enough images to know that it was the pastor of one of the churches who came with the people who attended his service to see what was going on. “It’s a supe awareness event. Everyone here is supes.”

Anger filled his eyes. “You’re not welcome—”

“It’s time to be the shepherd of your flock, Pastor,” I interrupted, swallowing a smirk when he flinched that I knew that. “You preach the teaching of Jesus, and it’s time to act more like him and on them. No more hate. No more lies. That leads to problems and people get hurt. I don’t want my people to be hurt any more than you do yours.”

“Momma, I want to play,” a little boy of about ten standing towards the front whined.

I smiled at him. “You’re more than welcome to. You just have to do one thing first.”

“What?” he asked suspiciously.

I extended my hand. “Shake my hand.”

“That’s it?” He started to reach for my hand, but his mom pulled him back.

I met her gaze and couldn’t hide my disappointment. “Have you ever even met a shifter, ma’am?”

“You’re all dangerous,” she accused.

“So are humans,” I threw right back. “Bad people are dangerous. We’re here to give you the truth that you can see with your own eyes.” I looked at the pastor again. “Free food and fun for anyone. All they have to do is be polite to the supes here and shake my hand like I’m a person instead of this crap I’m a beast. Is that really too much to ask?”

“Yes,” someone called from the back, but I saw the conflict in the pastor’s eyes.

“I’m agnostic, but you are not. What would Jesus do? God made us or at least allows us to be. We’re not aliens. How many will you keep from this fun because of your message of hate or pride that you’re better than touching one of us monsters? Is that really a man worthy of leading a flock or getting into heaven one day?”

I had a moment to hear Eva in my head that women get things done when a mom from the back pushed through the crowd. She had three kids with her, and all of their stomachs were growling.

And she extended her hand to me. “Thank you for bringing some fun to my kids, ma’am. I don’t care if you are an alien. We’ve had a rough go, and this looks a good day for them.”

I shook her hand. “I hope it’s a good day for all of us.” I gave high fives to her kids, and they started to move past me.

She turned around and let out a disgusted noise when no one stepped up to take her place. “If any of you dare judge me for doing this for my kids, I’m disappointed in you. She’s right. Jesus would break bread with those outside his flock and did. I’ve never met a damn supe. How can I hate people I’ve never even met?”

Dain knelt down in front of her daughter and made a flower appear. “I hope you grow up to be as smart and loving as your mommy.”

The little girl accepted it with a giggle. “Thank you.”

She was missing a few teeth from her baby teeth probably falling out, so it was more like “sank ewe,” but we got it.

And so did the others, and I didn’t mean her appreciation.

The pastor went next and shook my hand without a word. That was fine, he’d done what I’d asked.

The man had shaken the hand of someone he hated. That was better than most people could or would do. So that was a win in my book.

5

“I’ve got things here,” Carter said after about twenty minutes. “The first group has their food and is ready for the show.”

“Show? What show?” someone in line asked hesitantly.

“Educational,” I answered, kissing Carter’s cheek. He would keep calm and behave no matter what was thrown at him, so I definitely didn’t have to worry. I went over to one of the Siberian gulls that had come with and smiled at her. “You’re ready?”

She nodded, speaking quickly in Russian that she was scared but believed in me and this could help.

Fair enough.

“If I can have your attention,” I said loudly, waving my arms to get people focused on me. We had tents and folding tables set up all over for people to sit and eat, but all set up in a ring around the designated “stage” area. And then the food trucks and catering were in a ring around that.

Sometimes we got stuff right. There were a few bouncy houses and play areas for the kids towards the back for them to enjoy but also get attention. I wanted them all to have fun, but while they were eating, they could listen.

“For those of you who aren’t used to supes or shifters, we thought we’d show you what people get wrong about us.”

I nodded for her to go ahead, and she let out a slow breath before shifting. I ignored when people gasped and chuckled as the now-bird poked its head out of the dress that had fallen to the ground.

Squatting down, I held out my hand for her to jump up on, running my finger over her head when she did.

“One of the many misconceptions that too many people have of shifters is that we all hate each other and fight constantly,” I said loudly. “While there are always jerks no matter the species, in general, that’s completely false. Most groups that share the same area understand we have a symbiotic relationship.

“I have dozens of gull shifters who are part of my pack. I had help rescuing them from a bad situation, and in the pack they are safe.” I moved closer to a group of young girls that were eating together with their moms, clearly knowing each other. “Because of what she went through, this gull is very hesitant around men.”

“But I can pet her?” the first girl asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

I smiled at her. “I’m the Alpha, but I would never answer that for one of my people. You have to ask her, honey.”

“Oh, sorry,” she whispered and focused on the bird. “Can I pet you?” She beamed when the gull nodded. “How do I do it and not hurt her?”

“You’re a good kid.” I nodded when she seemed hesitant. “You’d be shocked how few people ask that.” I glanced over my shoulder and nodded when I saw Dain set up the correct banner for this shifter. “Just remember she’s a person too. So if you touch the bird’s head, you touch her head.”

The little girl did a double take. “Got it. So don’t touch her back. I don’t like when people rub my back.”

“Exactly.” I smiled when the gull held out her wing. “That’s her permission to touch her wing.” I used two fingers and showed her how to do it gently.

I thanked one of the female fairies who moved next to me and took my place holding the gull and protecting her. I moved back towards the center and glanced around the group.

“I’m not picking on anyone when I say it’s a hard concept. I was a human before. I’ve made lots of mistakes not thinking about touching a shifter’s back and that’s a person.” I gestured to the banner. “That’s the woman right there. Even if we know that, understanding that isn’t always the easiest thing.

“We also put things in our frame of reference. I’ve had people get annoyed that I didn’t lick their hand when I was in my wolf form. They’re used to a dog, but I’m a woman and that’s a kiss. I don’t just go around giving people kisses.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” one man said to another jeeringly. “I’ve heard she does a lot more too.”

“The deal was you respect people if you came in,” I reminded them, nodding when he did a double take. “We all heard you say that. Other women around you did as well, and that’s not how you should talk about women. Ever.” I didn’t wait for his reaction or dwell on it. “What shifter species would you like to see next? Not all of us came, but we have a variety.”

“Bear!” a little boy bellowed. “Please can I see the bear? Please?”

I wasn’t the only one who laughed. “You like polar bears?” I frowned when the little boy seemed upset. “We have a polar bear shifter with us.”

“He might mean me, Alpha,” a guy said from off to the side.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know someone with your sloth came out,” I admitted, waving him forward. He was from the Chicago sloth so a black bear. “You guys can see the bear, but it’s going to be a bit scary for your first time, so I need everyone to keep calm. He will be sentient and in full control.” I was glad when most people nodded and seemed ready.

“I don’t want our kids to see him naked,” someone objected when he took off his sweatshirt.

“I’ll keep my shorts on, ma’am, but I don’t have the money to replace my clothes all of the time,” he said easily. He waved off her apology and hurried to get his shoes and jeans off. He was wearing boxers, so it wasn’t a big deal and certainly nothing the kids hadn’t already seen.

He fluidly changed into his black bear and plopped on the ground as if to say he wasn’t a threat. It was hard to not laugh when he kinda looked up at me as if to ask, “What’s next?”

I looked over at the little boy and smiled. “Same rules, okay? You can touch his head and arms but remember, he’s the man you saw.”

“I promise,” he agreed.

“One at a time,” I called out when a bunch of the kids went over to him. “It’s scary when a bunch of people rush over to you. So let’s not scare him, okay?”

I was relieved when people seemed to accept that.

“Is it rude if we take a picture with him?” a teenager asked.

“If he allows it, it’s fine,” I answered. “Ask him. He can nod or shake his head.”

“Right, sorry,” he mumbled, his cheeks flushing.

“You’re fine,” I said easily. “It takes a minute. Those of us who were infected get it. I also teach this to cops and FBI, so I’m used to this part. The shifters might not, so this—it’s not easy from their side to come here where we’re mostly hated.”

I didn’t want to stick on that or seem like I was attacking those who attended, so I moved on.

“Who has questions they’d like to ask?” I nodded when people glanced between themselves. “We’re fine with polite, real questions. It’s when I’m asked how many babies I’ve eaten that we get upset.”

I pretended not to notice when over a dozen people winced, clearly having been part of that newest wave of bullshit.

“Let me be clear that shifters don’t eat babies. Ever. If there is any sick cannibalism anything, we arrest them just like sick cannibal humans. I don’t even know where this newest bull came from, but it’s extra hurtful because it’s picked on us that we don’t have more kids.”

“Why don’t you then?” a woman asked.

I glanced in her direction but couldn’t tell who specifically. “Because we have a high miscarriage rate. It’s hard for a shifter not to change forms for nine months. If we do, we miscarry. Even if we don’t, we have a higher miscarriage rate than humans. Given how many women know the pain of that, I would think most would be understanding.

“Hell, I was up in arms at that crap. I have friends who were hurt badly by the news saying they didn’t have kids because they ate them. They would have given anything to bring their babies to term, but sometimes bad things happen.” I cleared my throat and stared at my feet. “And some of us are left unable because of how we were infected. So that’s painful as well.”

Yeah, I wasn’t about to tell anyone there that I was able to have kids now if I wanted to. That wasn’t anyone’s business, and it was used against me now and again still that the only good thing about me being a shifter was that I couldn’t have kids.

And these people thought they were the good ones and we were monsters?

That confused me as well.

“What other questions?” I asked. I glanced over when there was giggling and saw that the bear was happily being fed a few cheeseburgers. “How much we eat is true. Really true. It’s a bit daunting how hungry we always are and have to eat.”

“Can you really do jumps like in movies?” a younger male voice called out from somewhere in the back.

“Depends on what you’re talking about, but I’ve seen really old vampires jump onto three-or four-story buildings with help,” I answered. “I can’t just jump in the air like Thor or…” I glanced around and felt better when I locked gazes with Reagan. “I’m not well versed in comic books or movies.”

“You want to launch me or I can launch you?”

I shrugged. “Let the ancients do it. They’re much better at it than I am.” I shrugged again when he chuckled. “Orson flew you here, right? He’s wanted to toss Sander away after… I forget this time.”

“He ate the rest of the chocolate-covered fruit that was supposed to be for you,” Orson said as he joined us with a plate of food. “Sander, get over here.” He handed me the food. “I love Chicago, you know I do, but that’s a local place, and they put Chicago barbeque to shame. Can we take some home?”

“If they can manage it.” I accepted the plate and tried it, moaning at the taste. “Yeah, that’s amazing. I’ll talk to the owner. This is better than that pulled pork I had in Memphis from that famous place. I forget the name. Someone save me cobbler. That’s my favorite.”

“It’s fantastic,” Orson praised, waving for Sander to hurry up. “I’m hungry.”

Sander ran towards the other ancient and stepped on his joined hands, jumping while Orson lifted his arms along with pushing off from his legs and sent Sander flying. Sander dropped down to the ground but rolled and came back up on his feet. He shrugged when we all looked at him. “I landed on uneven ground that I couldn’t see and didn’t have time to move.”

I winced when I glanced over and saw the broken blacktop he’d landed on. Yeah, ouch. I handed Orson back his food and was about to ask what other questions people had.

“Wait, those are vampires? I thought there were only shifters here,” a woman called out, jumping to her feet and looking scared. “How are you out in sunlight when you’re soulless?”

Sander flinched away from the woman, not hiding his hurt, and I moved in front of him protectively.

“He’s not soulless,” I said as evenly as I could. “You’re thinking Hollywood and bull. If you have questions, we’ll answer, but please be polite.” I shook my head when she argued. “Sander is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He is always helping people from changing a flat tire to making sure a crying woman at my club got home safe.”

“How do you know that she got home and he didn’t drink her down?” she accused.

“Because I’m the Alpha and can tell when someone’s lying to me,” I shot right back. “And I know him. He would never bite someone against their will. He doesn’t like to bite people who are willing.” I nodded when she narrowed her eyes at me. “It’s quite the thing to be bitten by someone as old as him, but it makes him uncomfortable like he’s an exhibit at a zoo.”

“You caught that, huh?” Sander chuckled nervously.

“I pay attention when I can.” I glanced around. “A lot of the stuff said about vampires is lies. That’s why we’re here and ready to give you the truth.” I focused back on the woman. “What is your actual question or concern?”

She swallowed loudly. “That my kid could get hurt and bleed around a monster who would then eat them.”

I swallowed my anger. I was used to such ignorance, but it angered me that it hurt Sander because I’d brought him to this. I pulled up my sleeve and changed my hand to a claw before anyone could tell me it was a bad idea. I sliced my arm and let everyone there see the blood.

I met the woman’s gaze again. “They’re not sharks. They’re not monsters. They’re people with feelings. It’s also a death sentence for any vampire who feeds from someone underage.” I nodded when her eyes went bug wide. “It’s a huge thing among vampires to never touch a child, so it’s not even the laws in the US. That’s an international law followed by all vampires.”

Carter was at my side and wiping up my blood with a towel before I could finish. “Always passion and fire.”

“She hurt Sander’s feelings.”

“I’m fine, Sera,” Sander chuckled, kissing my hair. “I’m used to it.”

“But you shouldn’t have to be. That’s the point of this,” I said at a volume the humans couldn’t hear. I tried to get us back on track though when I saw the humans were upset. “Let’s get Hollywood out of the way.” I focused on a group of teenagers. “What do vampires do in movies?”

“They can’t go out in the sun,” one guy chuckled, gesturing that it was clearly not the truth.

“We love the sun, but I don’t sparkle,” Carter teased. “We do get sunburnt faster than when we were human. As new vampires at least. What else?”

“Garlic,” someone called over.

“Love it,” Carter responded easily. “You have to worry about my garlic breath more than you could use it against me.” He shrugged when several people nervously chuckled. “I don’t sleep in a coffin. I have trouble sleeping, so my mattress is where I’m spoiled. A stake in the heart kills just about everyone if not given medical attention.”

“Silver?” someone else asked.

“Nope.”

But we were hitting too close to home, so it was time to move things along.

“I cannot turn into a bat either, though that would be really cool, and I wish I could,” he added. He bowed to everyone. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to manning the entrance. I think our part of the demonstration is over.”

“Can I see your fangs?” a little girl in front asked.

He smiled kindly at her. “That’s a bit personal, young one. If your parents are fine with it, I’ll show you on your way out, okay?” He winked at her, and then the three vampires made themselves scare before someone pushed for more from them.

“Yes, they end conversations like that all of the time, and it does get annoying because the rest of us can’t move that fast,” I said to try and bring some chill back to the event. Then I decided to bite the bullet and met that woman’s gaze. “I’m sorry I snapped. He’s my friend and has been through a lot. He’s one of the reasons my family kept it together when I was abducted.”

She studied me a moment and nodded. “I’m sorry I insulted your friend. I was told—are normal vampires like that too? Is it just because they’re ancient they have control?”

“The only time I’ve seen a vampire be not like that is when injured,” I said honestly. “And it’s not like they’re a gator snapping for a bite. Most will warn people to get away that they’re not in control or injured. I’ve seen vampires near feral who were illegally detained and mostly they hurt themselves. They were scratching themselves to try and keep it together.”

“That’s so horrible. I can’t imagine anyone seeing that and thinking they were on the right side,” she said sadly.

“I feel the same. I’m tired of all of the lies. I get if you had a bad experience with a supe and that would make you hesitant, but so many people still haven’t met one of us. I hear things about me all of the time said like gospel and they’ve never met me. They don’t know me.” I gestured all around. “I didn’t know any of you.

“I met one man from here and he was a monster. I’m pissed that was the impression he presented to so many when so far you’ve all been lovely. Am I disappointed you elected him? Yes, but none of us are perfect. I’ve voted for people I wished I hadn’t as well. It’s the curse of being an adult.” I shrugged, there wasn’t much else to say.

Barnes came over in shorts, giving me a look to move on. He was very in tune with tension as a small, prey shifter so I listened.

“This is Agent Barnes and he works for me, but he volunteered his time,” I told everyone.

“I was bribed with all of the Southern barbeque I could eat since I can’t cook,” he cut in, beaming at me. “Your husband promised even if he had to make it appear.”

“Of course, he did,” I chuckled. I glanced back out at the crowd. “Now because of past presentations, I ask you not touch him after he shifts.”

“Why?” a young boy in the front called out.

“People think it’s funny to smash frogs,” Agent Barnes answered, rubbing his neck. “And people don’t—they see me shift, but then they don’t remember I’m a person. People shriek and try and stomp on me or think it’s fun to smush frogs. I don’t know why but it’s…”

I moved closer and rubbed his shoulder. “You don’t have to do this. You can just sit and eat.”

He swallowed loudly. “No, it’s fine. I’d like to stop being scared. You’ll protect me, Chief.”

“Always.” I nodded and he shifted, picking him up after he did. “Just so you understand that it wasn’t small he’s overblowing, half of his body was broken when someone stomped on him after watching him shift.” I kept nodding when people winced or gasped. “Yeah, so please be understanding.”

I moved over by a group of kids and let them see Barnes, smiling when they simply clapped like he was the best thing ever.

And he was. I was proud of him.

“Sera, up front,” Carter said, and I could hear him fine even from that distance.

I handed Barnes over to the waiting fairy and nodded to Dain to take over. I walked at normal speed to the front and found a very angry man looming over Carter… Who was giving him a bored look.

Nice.

“He won’t let me in and had to call a woman to make the decision,” the man spat, totally disgusted.

Carter looked at the woman standing next to the man. “In what world are you not the boss of him? I’ve lived in many countries and different ages and the women are always the boss of their partners. What is in the water in Alabama that he doesn’t know the truth?”

She snorted which made the man even more upset.

“He won’t let you in because you’re carrying a gun, sir,” I said easily, bringing the focus back to me. “Please secure it in your vehicle and you can come in.”

“This is America and I have every right to—”

“Sir, I’m a federal agent. I know the laws and can quote them. I normally do in my sleep. This is a private event on private property. My guns are secured in my vehicle as well. The choice is yours. It’s that simple.”

“Daddy, I wanna eat,” one of the little girls begged.

I flinched when he told her to shut up, watching as she cowered away from him in a way that signaled something I knew well. That girl knew how to take a smack.

“I wanna eat too,” the little—but older—boy said as he moved in front of his sister. “You promised we could eat all we wanted today when you heard about this.”

“If you don’t want to secure your weapon, your partner can bring the children in still,” I offered.

“How can you say no to hungry kids?” he demanded, seeing I was struggling and deciding to pounce on it.

I raised an eyebrow at that. “How can you say no to your hungry kids over a damn gun?”

That did it. Enough people were waiting in line behind him and several clearly agreed with me, so he stormed off while I shook the hands of his family and he went back in.

When he returned, he cut the line—which no one objected to—and reached for Carter’s hand. Fine, if he wanted to shake the hand of someone with a penis instead of giving the respect to a woman, I wouldn’t make a stink about it.

And I wasn’t just guessing. I’d gotten images from him. I let it go… And later handed his partner the number for a woman’s shelter in Birmingham that I’d asked Dain to get and confirm they had room.

To say she was shocked was an understatement, but she hid it well, and I was pretty damn smooth after all of my years undercover.

As much as my undercover work scared me, I really did miss it some days. My life was much less complicated then… And lonelier.

6

“Who am I writing the ticket for, Alpha?” a man in a police uniform asked me a bit later.

“Crazy says what now?” I threw right back.

“What?” he asked, frowning when he realized what I’d just done. “Someone in ‘law enforcement’ should have more respect for the badge.”

I folded my hands under my chin and batted my eyelashes at him. “I couldn’t have said it better. So what bull are you about to try and pull, Officer?”

“I was sent to write you a citation for this gathering,” he snapped.

We were drawing attention, but I felt Dain near, so I knew this would be handled easily.

“For?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and going back to my food. “We were very careful that no one expose anything even if is private property.”

“You don’t have the permits to hold this festival if it can be called that.”

“We don’t need the permits by your own city ordinance because no money is changing hands,” Dain said as he moved next to me. “Everything here is free. That falls under the guidelines of a community outreach event, which there aren’t permits for. We simply need the permission of the property’s owner.”

“Which you don’t have,” the officer snapped.

“Yes, we do,” several of us supes responded, not hiding our amusement.

“No, you don’t,” he argued. “No one would allow this kind of event into our good city.”

“You’re right,” I purred, wiping my mouth and standing. “No one would let us use their property because of the flack and bull they didn’t want to deal with for being friends with supes.” I went on when victory was in his eyes. “However, the bank was very happy to off-load this foreclosed property. So they did.”

“To our queen,” one of the fairies from her court said proudly. “I have the power of attorney for Queen Laila and met with the bank representative last night when I landed. The money has been wired and paperwork signed. Queen Laila owns this land and did not file a complaint. But she might for police harassment if you don’t apologize for your mistake.”

Damn.

Like dayumn.

I gave the fairy a look to tone it back though because he would end up in cuffs if he pushed harder. I had more protections, and it was a huge hassle to arrest a fed.

People didn’t feel the same about the queen’s court.

I moved closer to the officer and extended my hand. “I’m sorry for the confusion and you weren’t told the right information. Help yourself to food if you want.”

He looked at my hand like it was a snake. “I don’t stop writing the ticket just because you say so. You need to pack up and leave.”

“On what premise?” I pushed.

“If you want to take a ride in my cruiser to jail, keep talking,” he warned.

I smiled at him, knowing it was an evil one. “You know who I am. Clearly, you do. Please, arrest me, because my first call will be to the Birmingham FBI office to tell them all about some police corruption here. So if you’re going to be rude, Officer, I’m done being nice and you better use my title going forward or you’ll end up in trouble.”

“You threatening me?”

“Chief Thomas,” I said firmly. “‘You threatening me, Chief Thomas?’” I nodded when he narrowed his eyes at me. “You want to play games with me? Sure, we can whip them out and compare.” I reached into my shirt and pulled out my FBI badge. “Go ahead, try to intimidate me with yours when mine has much more power to it. Please.”

“Damn, you go, gurl,” a woman said from behind me. The other humans couldn’t hear her, but the supes did and it was hard not to laugh.

“You’re not on duty,” the cop muttered, a flash of fear in his eyes. “You’re here for personal reasons. You can’t use that badge then.”

I clucked my tongue. “You know that’s not a real thing when you can get in trouble for ignoring a crime as well, Officer. Plus, I’m always on call, and right now I’m looking at my next case. A cop harassing supes for being supes which is my jurisdiction.”

“I think you were about to apologize and leave before Chief Thomas places you under arrest?” Carter said firmly from behind the cop.

Which spooked him and he jumped to the side… And reached for his gun.

“Stop!” I ordered, glad when the cop listened as well. I shot Carter an annoyed look. “People can’t hear you, and he’s on official business even if it’s bull. You have to watch that.”

“I’m sorry.” He actually dipped his head to the cop. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m still adjusting. I’m used to being around other ancients all of the time.” He glanced at me and sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m tired of this shtick everywhere you go. You’ve provided the people of this city hundreds of thousands of dollars of free food and the cops come hassle you.”

I snorted. “That’s not me being a supe always. The locals never like the feds, and a lot of times I don’t blame them. We don’t always play well together. Many times the cops just hate me for being a fed.”

It still sucked but was the truth.

“Have a nice day, Officer,” I said when the cop didn’t move. I wanted to say more about the hospitality towards other law enforcement when visiting, but honestly I was used to this crap as a fed.

It just got way worse when I became a supe and a boss. I honestly didn’t understand how much Brian protected me from this shit.

Then again, I’d been mostly undercover, so I wasn’t normally involved on this side of the pissing matches.

The cop left, but I made sure to head towards the front where his cruiser was parked. He called in what the situation was, and I could easily hear the response from his brass. Fine, it wasn’t the open channel, but other people could hear it and had access to that damn channel, so it wasn’t like a phone call.

And all the supes around me heard it too.

“You were supposed to get that bitch in cuffs and you didn’t even write the damn ticket?” his boss blasted him.

“Sir, she had her bases covered,” he argued. “They bought the damn property from the bank. They’re not charging money for the food. I recognized that big supe attorney who also works as an attorney for the FBI. I didn’t think you wanted me to go at him.”

“No, fuck, we don’t need any more headaches from those assholes. Birmingham is all up my ass any chance they get. Fine, I’ll call in the tower at the airport.”

“Why? She drove in,” the officer replied.

“Yeah, but all of her people flew in on like four different planes like they’re special. I can’t make them leave, but I’ll give them a trip to remember so they don’t ever think of coming back. I’ll fucking delay them for days with bad weather and let them see other planes land and take off. What are they going to do? Drive their fancy private jets out of here?”

I held my finger up to my lips when the officer looked over. He clicked the button to talk, but then stopped when I shook my head. He swallowed loudly and said he was getting back on the main channel for calls.

“Give me his name and I won’t include you in my report of the police here fucking with the FAA to bully supes. And yes, I absolutely can come after him for that and I will,” I said when I reached his cruiser.

He blurted it before throwing his cruiser into drive and peeling out like he was worried about hellhounds coming after him.

Nope, just one seriously pissed off Alpha wolf.

I went back inside and after glancing around a bit, I decided to go talk to the pastor who had first come in. We’d had a few since with their churches, but I hadn’t talked to them.

He watched me approach and I squatted down next to him. “You got guts to go after the police like that.”

I snorted. “They should be more scared of me. While half of the rumors about me are bogus, I did save the director’s ex-wife and child from being killed. I’ve got the biggest hammer to bring down if I want to.”

“Must be nice.”

I studied him and got several images from him. “So the cops around here don’t just hate supes, but Blacks, huh?”

“You can read minds,” he accused.

“Not remotely,” I drawled. “I get an image here and there, but normally I block with so many people around.” I waved off what he was going to say next. “If I push over the first domino, I need to know people will step up and talk to the regular FBI.”

“How do we know they won’t be as bad or make the situation worse?” he challenged. “Black men tend to die around the police. Right now it’s some extra tickets, searching of vehicles, and finger-pointing at any damn burglary around here. You start trouble and it could end up with someone dead.”

“It could,” I agreed, shrugging when he couldn’t hide his shock. “It’s happened when I got involved in local corruption and churches harassing in Memphis. But they were already killing and no one knew. If they’re willing to go that far, they probably already have and it just hasn’t hit you yet. But it will. We both know it will one day.”

He swallowed loudly. “If you can guarantee the person we’d talk to is clean, I can get you a lot of ammo.”

“More than fair. I’ll call the director myself and make sure it’s someone he knows.” I went to stand and do that, but the pastor grabbed my arm. I didn’t understand until he extended his other hand.

“Thank you, Chief Thomas. Thank you for caring about my people when you have no reason to.”

I smiled at him and accepted his hand. “I used to be human, Pastor. I was in the foster system and different. I have every reason to fight for those who get screwed over. I wish I had someone who cared as much for me as you do for your flock.”

I called Galvin away from ears, and it turned out the Birmingham office had tried multiple times to try and go after the local police for corruption and more, but nothing ever stuck. He wanted to make sure that no one was fucking with us because I was a supe or to waste more of our limited budget though.

Fair enough.

I went back to the pastor and handed over my phone. They could figure it all out. I had enough on my damn plate.

The media showing up a bit later just about screamed that.

I went to handle that and said the same thing that I already had. The congressman had come using taxpayer dollars to try and win political points and fan the flames of hate and divide instead of being responsible. I wasn’t one to fight fire with fire, but with truth and kindness.

A quarter of the city lived in poverty, and that needed to be the first and second priorities of everyone. The same had been true of the Chicago supes, and the leaders banded together to change that. When I came into power and made the system work, we thrived because our leaders cared.

Humans deserved better than they were getting. So we were there to give them the truth about us and some kindness because no matter our disagreements, we could break bread together, and all agree that their local barbeque was amazing. That got me a few chuckles even.

I invited them inside if they promised to leave people alone. They could take video, but if they wanted to talk to people, catch them outside of the area and be respectful. Not everyone wanted to be on camera or the next soundbite. If that was all they were there for, we’d kick them out. It was fair, and that was what I wanted more of in life.

What we should all demand more of.

They actually behaved, probably too shocked at my Chicago bluntness and the offer to see what we were doing. We didn’t have anything to hide, but no one wanted to be hassled on a Sunday.

Or any day.

The biggest shock of the day wasn’t that the event mostly went well, but what I sensed once all of the shifters had shifted. Honestly, if I hadn’t met Topher and spent time with him, I would never have caught it.

But I did.

“You asked about the bathroom earlier, it’s open now,” I said to the teenager. “I can show you.”

She studied me for a moment and swallowed a flinch before looking at a woman. “I’ll be right back.”

The woman gave a wave and couldn’t care two shits. I knew that situation well.

Too well.

“Your foster mom?” I muttered under my breath as I led her away from the group.

“Aunt. She took me in when my mom died,” she admitted after a moment.

Except they hadn’t smelled alike. There were a lot of people and scents, but I had assumed it was like my situation because they didn’t have the same smell. But that could easily have been my past clouding my view.

I sent out a pulse that I needed someone, glad when Axel was first and in his tiger form. “Scent her and trace her back to the people she was with. She was sitting with a woman she says is her aunt. Check.” I waited until he was gone before I turned to her. “You know what you are, right?”

She snorted. “A freak? Yeah, I’ve been clued in for a long time.”

“You’re clairvoyant,” I said gently. “I don’t know how much, but you sensed something off about me. You got images from me.”

She slowly nodded. “It was different, like you were holding up an image for me to see instead of me just catching shit I don’t want to.” She rubbed her neck. “It didn’t hurt like the other images I get.”

“They didn’t really hurt me ever,” I muttered. “I could get overwhelmed or too many loud broadcasters around me and—”

“I black out,” she whispered. “They lie and say I have seizures.”

“I didn’t ever have that until I was more powerful. You’ve got more juice than I did at your age,” I worried. I glanced up when I felt Dain and met his worried gaze, before focusing on the girl again. “How old are you?”

“Sixteen.” She shook her head when I opened my mouth. “You’re an adult in Alabama at nineteen. Getting emancipated before eighteen is a joke.” She worried her lower lip. “My friend says it’s sus that my aunt showed up out of nowhere to claim me and take me in. She thinks it’s whatever in the will that I get at eighteen, but I’m not an adult until I’m nineteen.”

“Meaning if it’s not protected correctly then it would go into the care of your guardian,” Dain muttered.

“Are you safe?” I asked her. “Does she hurt you or—”

“No, but I’m not allowed friends or to like talk to people,” she muttered. “No cell, no nothing. She even talked to the school about my ‘seizures’ so I don’t have to do group projects. She laughs when I bring up college and says she won’t sign off on anything because she owns me.”

“Well, that’s terrifying,” Dain muttered.

“Bad people always are.” I glanced up when I felt Axel, swearing under my breath when the tiger shook his head. “That woman is not related to you. We can smell it.”

“What do I do?” she whispered.

“For now, you act like nothing has changed,” I told her. “You act your ass off.” I hugged her which shocked her and the others there. “I will get you out, okay? I promise.”

“You don’t even know my name,” she whispered… As she hugged me back.

“Right, normal stuff. What’s your name?”

“Deanna Maze,” she answered as I let her go.

“Does she search your belongings or rifle through your things?” Dain asked.

“Sometimes, but I’m pretty good at hiding stuff,” she answered.

“Do you have an email she doesn’t know about?” I tried instead. “Something you can access at school she won’t ever know about?”

“Yeah, I could do that easy,” she agreed. “During lunch or my free period.”

“Do you get in trouble for cell phones at school?” Dain pushed. “What if you left it there?”

“Before or after school only, but I walk to and from so she wouldn’t know,” Denna said with a shrug.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“That she has an emergency brake in case things ever go really bad,” Dain muttered.

“Our phones have FBI stuff on them. We can’t give her those.”

Dain sighed and stared at the kid. “You said you had a friend. Could I send her a phone and she would give it to you at school?”

“Yes!” Deanna said loudly, clearing her throat and nodding. “Yes.”

“Okay, then we have a plan,” I muttered, glancing around. I thanked Dain when he made a paper and pen appear for me. I quickly wrote down my personal email address and cell number for her before letting Dain do the same. I shrugged when she frowned. “He’s an attorney. Even if not licensed in AL, that scares people.”

He handed it to her and gave her a sad smile. “We’ll get you out, but your situation is complicated, so give us some time.”

“Okay, thanks,” Deanna whispered. “I have to get back.”

“Stay safe.” My heart hurt when I saw her hurry off, and I pulled out my phone and walked off. I’d gotten it back from the pastor and I almost called Galvin, but something stopped me. I was trusting him a bit too much when he was still FBI through and through.

And the FBI had a history of treating clairvoyants and psychics like shit.

So I went with my gut. My gut was what brought us here to this small city to find her.

“Hey, you guys wrapping up?” Brian greeted. “Topher misses you.”

“I miss him too,” I whispered. “I need your help, Bri.”

“Yeah, anything.”

“Did you say you have a friend in the Birmingham office?”

“No, I did. He transferred. He would probably know who to trust in that office though. What do you need?”

“I need someone fucking trustworthy and not dirty, and I’m not sure how many of those we can even fucking find anymore,” I seethed, taking in a slow breath and letting it out. “I found someone like me here. I think she’s been kidnapped for money, and if I show interest people will jump on that. I sensed her, Bri. Just like I can Topher.”

“Okay, let me call a few people and get someone clean in Birmingham. You came across someone you think is a kidnapping victim. Nothing more. The rest we can work out later. How are you going to explain that though?”

“We smelled her. She asked to use the bathroom and said the woman was her aunt, but they weren’t related. We can smell that.”

“That’s enough probable cause for me. I’ll call you back.”

He did a few minutes later and said his friend knew enough guys in Birmingham that were clean, but one above all else he knew for sure. Like would sell his soul before he went dirty and hated corruption with a passion. I got the guy’s number and called him.

“This is Sera Thomas and—”

“I just got the heads up you were calling. What can I do for you, Chief Thomas?”

“I stumbled across something tricky in your neck of the woods, and I was worried who I could hand it over to that wouldn’t do something bad just because they hate me or supes,” I admitted. Then I told him the whole situation without admitting Deanna was a clairvoyant.

“That’s a bit—I’m not sure that’s enough if I’m honest, Chief Thomas.”

“Because you guys aren’t used to dealing with our division,” I said with a sigh. “The other offices we’ve worked with would use that. She also said she hadn’t met the woman or known of her before her mom died. Something is going on, and there’s dirt on the police here that’s also going to be a problem.”

He was quiet a few moments. “I know all about that. I was the one who tried to nail their asses last time. Are you saying you got something on them for real?”

“If you were the last case against them, I’m fairly sure you’ll get a call from Director Galvin soon. We have someone here who will get the real story.”

“You should come to Alabama more often, Chief Thomas,” he chuckled. “The rumors of you getting shit done clearly weren’t overstated.”

“I appreciate that, but some days I just need a damn break.”

“True, but I’d have less of a break to get as many wins as you do. The rest of us fight against the losses and how to cope with them.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Getting those assholes will be a huge win, so I’ll take the hope. I’ll come personally and check in on this kid. Any word on getting a supe team in this office?”

“I’m not handling that anymore now that Havers was promoted,” I hedged. “You guys have requested it?”

“Repeatedly.”

Oh boy.

I wrote a note with the guy’s name and information and slipped it to Denna when she was leaving with a warning not to tell anyone she was clairvoyant.

“Always saving people,” Carter chuckled as I watched her leave with her “aunt.”

“It’s my job.”

“It’s your heart, Sera. It’s why we come when you ask us and push when we all need a rest. If nothing else, you changed a few hundred hearts about supes and will rescue that girl. That’s a damn good day.”

Yeah, it was. It really was.

Plus, we took home a shit ton of barbeque. That always made me feel better about life.

7

“This seems silly,” I grumbled a few days later.

“Maybe,” Phobie accepted. “But so what? You can take time out of your schedule for a bit of silly.”

I nodded, glancing around my plane and doing my best not to cross my arms over my chest like I was being closed off or any of the other tells I knew people fixated over. Even if Phobie wasn’t like that or judgy, she was my therapist and would notice.

“Sorry, traffic was a mess,” Dain said as he joined us with Topher. He plopped Topher on my lap and brought out what we were having for lunch.

“You’ve had too much bad happen to you involving planes,” Phobie repeated when I sighed. “Even from people teasing you about your plane narcolepsy and the hard cases that planes took you to. Have a break and start having some better memories associated with planes. So what if it’s silly?” She waved at Topher. “We like silly, right?”

Topher liked her, so he squealed in delight with whatever she said.

Flirt.

I was happy with what I was getting for lunch at least. I gave Topher a small piece of my cooked salmon, all of us watching to see if he would like it. Because he was more aware than other babies since he picked up images, he almost immediately figured out how to hold food and was much more dexterous than other babies his age.

Which made our lives much easier.

He tried it and I got images of him loving it.

“Add it to the menu,” I chuckled. I picked up a piece of avocado first.

“I checked with his pediatrician that he could have all of that in that bowl specifically,” Dain told me.

“Of course, you did.” I hadn’t doubted that for a second, but I’d also read the lists and books about what he could eat at eight months as well. I smiled when Topher liked it but thought it a bit bland. I sent him images that it was normally mixed in like my whole bowl, and he was excited to get to try it like that later.

Goof.

Dain started fussing over him to give him more now that we knew he liked the new items we were going to add into his rotation.

I snorted, drawing their attention. “I swear you would pick Topher over me in a heartbeat. He’s settled and his food all laid out before I even get a hello kiss or ask how I’m doing.”

I’d said it to tease him. I really had. I knew Topher took a lot of the focus, and I’d had lots of situations that I’d had to put on pause until I’d gotten him settled before I could take in what else was going on.

But what I got off Dain sliced through my heart. I blinked at him as I felt his worry and upset… And guilt.

And for the first time ever, I got annoyed with Topher. I felt myself about to give him a shit look that he didn’t deserve, but instead I jumped out of my seat and headed for the exit.

“Sera, wait,” Dain called after me.

But I didn’t. I felt like an asshole and even worse, I realized there were tears all over my cheeks.

Phobie grabbed my arms and turned me away from the plane. “Stop. You’re not a jerk. You’re—give yourself this one, Sera.” She nodded when I frowned.

“I’m not that selfish and a bitch,” I snapped, pulling away from her and walking off.

She grabbed my arm and spun me back. “You’re not. Just listen to me.” She waited until I nodded, not caring and crossing my arms over my chest. “Topher is your brother. You see him as your brother. Even if you care for him like your son and refer to him like that for the public, you are his sister. You know this. Put him in the category right now.”

“Brother,” I agreed.

“And siblings get jealous over each other all of the fucking time, Sera. The fact you haven’t resented the responsibility and risk of him being dropped on you is amazing.”

“Of course, I do. I hate my dad for it.”

“Yes, but a lot of people resent their siblings for it.”

“He’s just a baby. It’s not his fault.”

“It’s not,” she said gently. “And this isn’t your fault either. Work this out logically. You are the reason Dain has a son. They see Topher as their son, but he’s your brother. Right or wrong, you just found out he would choose his son over you. He would choose your brother over you, the woman he loves. Your reaction is valid.”

I blinked at her a moment. “It is?”

“Yeah, Sera,” she chuckled and pulled me into a hug. “This isn’t a normal situation. I will say that he loves you just as much as Topher, but Topher’s a baby and wouldn’t survive on his own. So it’s the old thing of if you were both drowning, who would you save?”

“Topher,” I muttered. “Dain can swim on his own or survive longer for me to get him next.”

“Exactly. That’s what you felt from Dain. He’s never going to have to make that choice or, if gods forbid, he ever did, it’s the choice you would make as well.”

“I get that but…”

“It hurts to feel.” She nodded when she pulled away. “I winced for you. I see the big picture and how he’s your brother. Forget the semantics or context of the situation, your husband just admitted he would pick your brother over you. As someone who grew up being abandoned and never chosen, that hurts you way worse than anyone else. You’re valid.”

“They all love him more, don’t they?” I whispered. “I worry they only love me because they have a son now.”

“They don’t love him more, and they loved you before you had Topher,” she said gently. “It’s a worst-case scenario choice, and you would pick Topher over them too. This is more upsetting to you because of your past. Ask your wolf and siren. I bet they’re not upset.”

They weren’t, and that shocked me because they were pretty damn selfish and all about us being queen or more important than others. But none of that mattered because Topher was a child. Full stop. Protecting a child came first.

Fair enough. It still hurt. I understood the logic, but at least I felt like less of an asshole when Phobie worked me through it.

“I don’t want to go back there,” I whispered, pacing and not sure what to do.

Until I heard a wail slice through the quiet day. I raced towards Topher without a thought in my head. I grabbed him from Dain and hugged my brother close.

He thought he’d done something to hurt me and that I didn’t love him anymore. I gave him images that I did, and I was just upset. Topher was torn because while he loved me most as his mom and sister, he loved Dain too.

I made it clear he didn’t ever have to pick and could love us both all he wanted. This was adult stuff he didn’t have to worry about.

Oddly enough, that always worked. The moment I put it into the context of “adult stuff,” his mind just switched it off and he was back to wanting more salmon and formula.

If only life could be so easy for the rest of us.

My phone rang and I handed Topher over to Phobie, not even able to look at Dain. Fair or not, logical or not, my feelings were hurt.

So I was glad that work needed me so I didn’t have to deal with it.

Clearly, I didn’t learn from all of my mistakes.

“Thomas,” I answered, wiping under my eyes again.

“Congratulations on the win in Alabama,” Deputy Director Perez greeted.

“Thank you, sir.”

He chuckled softly. “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

“More like a lot happened, so you’ll have to be more specific,” I admitted. “I think most would ask how I’m doing also after that conversation leaked involving the president.”

“We all know he’s an ass,” he muttered.

“He’s still my commander-in-chief, sir.” I swallowed loudly and turned from both Dain and Phobie, realizing that my reaction right then was because I was already sensitive.

Audio had leaked of the president blowing a gasket about his ICE ploy being shut down and me coming out looking like a good person and better leader than him. The news had apparently reported it over and over again that even if people didn’t like me, I was always ready to be the shield to protect people and that was impressive.

And that the president was a coward that had ducked the draft.

I was pretty sure it was Enzo or someone working with him that had gotten the audio in a way I didn’t want to know about. They probably had leaked it as well.

But yeah, it had been playing for the past two days that the president wanted me out of the way. Also, Galvin. He was ready to make a move against Galvin and get someone loyal to him running the FBI so he could control all of us.

His exact words even. He wanted to control us like his private police.

Good luck with that.

But after all of his bullshit against Galvin and the recordings making it clear it was all political and he was planning a hit job, his people had to clean up the mess. They lied through their teeth that the recordings were taken out of context and spliced together and that the president respected Galvin and his long service.

Blah, blah, bullshit, and more bullshit.

But it meant Galvin’s position was safe for right now and probably the near future. At least a few months, so that was something.

“The win is that congressman facing a lot of heat in his district because he’s misusing funds,” he elaborated. “They’re talking about pulling his committee assignment because of what he said on social media about you after you went to Alabama.”

“I didn’t know he said anything about me,” I admitted, shrugging when he sighed. “I really don’t like politics, sir. It’s a lot of wasted time and effort into stupid shit. I went down to Alabama to talk to people, not for a political stunt. Do I mind that I killed two birds with one stone? No, I get extra points in life for that. But that wasn’t the goal.”

“I get why Monroe and Galvin are always frustrated with you,” he muttered.

“The feeling is mutual too often,” I drawled.

“Well, I have a feeling it’s about to get worse and that’s why they made me call you, so please don’t shoot the messenger.”

“I’m the messenger who gets bitched out a lot, so I feel your pain, sir. What do the idiots want of me now?”

He snorted. “I can’t even blame you for being insubordinate after I was fully read-in.”

I frowned. “On?”

“Havers’s promotion and how it all went down. I didn’t get a lot of the details but saw you beating on Monroe and more. That was some of my judgment on you.”

“You change your mind now?” I chuckled darkly.

“Hell yes. I’m on your side and my wife would have validly kicked my ass out.”

“Please tell the idiots that. They see they were wrong, but I know all three of them still think I went over the top.” I felt better when he burst out laughing especially since he wasn’t the type to laugh. So it was partially stress at whatever was going on and he really, really agreed with me.

It was nice when that happened.

“We all agree it’s time to get Murray off the board.”

I snorted. “Then fire his stupid ass. You have more than enough for that.” I sighed when he was quiet. “Right, you want it ironclad and for me to do it. Galvin wanted me to go undercover, right? Sure, let’s just subject me to more humiliation and bullshit saying that this is the end and it won’t be again. That’s cool. What do I matter, right?”

“You okay, Thomas?” he asked quietly.

“No, because Murray holds grudges. He has one from training and arranged all of this to get another shot at me. Now I’m the one who has to take him down. Just because he’s out of the FBI that doesn’t mean he’ll stop fucking coming for me. And my family, my pack, my people. I’m tired of that being the result when I’m the one with my ass on the line doing good.”

“You’re right and it’s not fair.” He cleared his throat. “Then off the record, don’t do it their way. Do it yours, Thomas.”

“Sir?”

“I saw what you can do. Enough with the dancing. Nail that asshole to the wall so he ends up in a deep hole somewhere that he can’t come after you.”

I adjusted my neck and swallowed a snarl. “He should have been after Ferguson sent PIs after an Alpha. I have it recorded that Murray knew even if the PIs didn’t know it was Ferguson. Just money and an email that we can’t trace. But Murray acknowledged it. He should be in a hole already. A few times.”

“Well, this time I will be directly involved, and I give you my word that this is the end. I want Murray out. Monroe couldn’t make the call, and Galvin worried he was putting you first because he cares about you instead of the mission. I’m done having this shit stain be one of us. You are the answer. So do your thing and take this asshole down.”

I was quiet for several moments. “Okay, what’s the assignment or case?”

“He’s working a murder in Schaumburg.”

“Okay, why does one murder need the FBI and the division chief?” I asked but then sighed. “Who was murdered? Some bigwig?”

“No, the body was found in the trunk of a bigwig,” he answered, his tone amused. “Apparently, a newly retired circuit court judge came back from his time in Florida and was welcomed with a body. So there’s a lot of crazy and trying to keep it all under wraps.”

“And Murray jumped on it to make friends with a bigwig. Got it.”

“What do you need from us?”

I thought about it a moment. “I’ll get back to you. I want to talk with my security. For now, I want them to be wired up. That’s a lot of visuals and angles of the scene to catch what Murray is saying.”

“Do it, to it, Thomas. Let me know if you need anything.”

I hung up with a sigh.

A large one.

“I’m sorry, I have to go clean up someone else’s shit,” I told Phobie. “Again. Always.”

“You’ll be okay, Sera. We can try again next time you can catch lunch out here.”

I nodded and swallowed my sigh this time. I needed to try whatever I could to deal with my freaking out about planes. My job—my life needed me to use them.

And it was something people could exploit to hurt me. I had enough of that to go around, so I needed to control the ones I could.

“Sera, please don’t—” Dain whispered.

“We’re fine. I have to go. Murder trumps all else,” I mumbled, giving Topher a quick kiss before heading towards my security. I shook my head when Carter reached for me and jumped in the back. “We’ve got work to do. You guys all got your mini cams, right?”

“Yeah, Noah got us the right everything,” he muttered, hurrying on when I opened my mouth. “All of them are different and fit us, so it’s not all flag lapel pins that scream we’re up to something.”

“Mine is an earring,” Sander purred, hurrying to put it in and show me.

I leaned in and chuckled. “Damn, that’s good. I wouldn’t have ever thought that was a camera.” I frowned. “Wait, if you only have one ear pierced—wasn’t—didn’t that used to be a signal you were gay?” I frowned harder. “I thought it was like wearing your wedding band on your right hand meant you were in a same-sex marriage.”

“I have no idea, but I don’t care if people think I’m into guys.” Sander shrugged, pretty easygoing with most.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t either, but I wanted you to know, but I honestly have no idea.”

He snorted. “We don’t come to you for the latest trends, Sera.”

“You’re way too smart for that,” I joked. I told him the address since he was driving and we got on our way. I held up a finger when Carter went to say something and called Perez back. “Sorry, I realized I needed context. How did Murray ask for me? Or did you make like you were bringing me in so he didn’t fuck it up?”

“No, but that is why I want you there,” he promised, but then sighed. “I’m part of the reason he was promoted. I sang his praises left and right to Galvin.”

“He used magic on you,” I forgave.

“I know, and your security sent me a charm that no one can fuck with me again, but I’m letting you know this—Murray thinks I’m his ace in the hole. I have been in the past. He was shocked when I chewed him out about the Interpol incident, but we’re not in the same office for him to mess with me. He immediately said we needed to meet up soon.”

“And fix it with magic. Wow, sorry, that blows he’s been taking advantage of you that long.”

He was quiet a moment. “Thanks. Really. I knew you wouldn’t blame me, but I blame me and have been—anyways, he basically asked for a favor from me to assign you to his case. He cracked some jokes about you sniffing out the murderer.”

I blinked at the road. “Tell me you only allowed that for this ploy, right? I’m not really such shit to the FBI that I’ve been reduced to the cadaver dogs, right?”

“No one thinks that of you, Thomas,” he said gently. “No one. Even people I know who are on the fence about supes think it’s disgusting to talk about you guys like that. I want all the evidence ever to be done with Murray. So I’m sorry, but let him go over the line and let’s end this.”

“Yeah, as long as you promise it’s the last time, I’ll let him dig the hole super deep we bury him in.”

“You have my word.”

Even if I didn’t, this was my job and it was an order.

“Sera?” Carter whispered, reaching over and giving my thigh a shake.

“Yeah?” I realized they were all worried and he’d probably tried to talk to me a few times. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not, but I’m not either, and it’s not happening to me,” Sander said sadly from the front.

I swallowed loudly and looked out the mirror. It helped that he said that, but sometimes when I felt valid in my bad feelings, I sunk deeper into them.

8

“He’s such a damn creeper,” Sander bitched under his breath as we walked up to the scene about half an hour later.

I nodded I heard him, fully agreeing. The pure glee in Murray’s eyes was so disconcerting that I pulled my jacket tighter around me as if that could protect me somehow. I was a good thirty feet away still, and the images of satisfaction he had that I could be forced to come service him at his beck and call were beyond gross.

“What have we got?” I asked, acting like this was any other crime scene.

“So nice of you to finally join us, Sera,” Murray drawled. “I called for you over an hour ago.”

I snorted. “You mean you called our bosses to say you needed my help because you can’t handle this alone. You can’t order me here, and I’ve repeatedly told you to please be professional. We’re not friends, so stop using my first name like you know me. You don’t. We simply went through Quantico together.”

He tried to move past that, but I ignored him, turning to Corbin and asking what the deal was.

Corbin’s lips twitched, but he kept it under wraps. “Nice to see you, Chief Thomas. Thanks for the assist on this.”

“Always.”

“The vehicle is registered to Calvin St. Jean, seventy-two years old, retired circuit court judge. He—and his wife—came home early from a trip to Florida because his daughter was in a car accident. They took an Uber from O’Hare to home, dropped off their bags, and he was going to head right to the hospital. He opened the door and smelled something funny.”

“Opened the trunk and found a body,” I finished for him, nodding when he did. I glanced over and saw white powder all over the ground by the car. “Body stored with baking soda?”

“Score one for you because I thought salt,” he muttered.

“Baking soda eats odors.” I wasn’t sure if salt would have done much. “That might preserve a body so it doesn’t decay as much.” I frowned. Or it could have been the opposite. Something to ask an ME one day.

In my spare time.

“We have an ID on the victim?” I asked.

“No, the body was—it was clearly a body, so the judge called it in right away.”

I nodded and moved over towards the vehicle, checking out the area. I went to point something out, but remembered I wasn’t in charge or leading a team.

Wow, that was a strange feeling.

“I want to know what the hell is going on,” a man seethed from off to the side. “And I need to get to the hospital.”

I changed direction and went over to the man who was validly upset. “I’m Chief Sera Thomas, Your Honor, and I’m going to do what I can.” I waited until he nodded. “I’m also a supe.”

His eyes went wide. “Why is a supe investigating this? Was that person a supe? I don’t hate them, and I certainly didn’t kill anyone.”

I nodded. “I’m here to cut through the bull. Now, I need you to tell me that again, but without being so wound up so I can clear you, okay? You know not to leave town while the investigation is going on, but I can get you on your way.”

He let out a slow breath and nodded. “I have no idea who that was in my vehicle, Chief Thomas. I’ve never killed anyone.”

I nodded. “Now I need you to tell me a lie.”

“I’m not furious that this happened now while my daughter is about to go into surgery.”

Yeah, that was a damn lie. I nodded again and looked at Sander. “Take the judge and his wife in my vehicle and hit the lights. He needs to get to the hospital.”

“My wife went ahead, but I will take the ride, thank you,” he accepted, looking a bit lighter.

I pulled out my card and handed it over. “I’ll be assisting on the case and my cell is on there. Best of luck to your daughter.”

“Thank you.”

It turned out that one of the CPD patrol took him instead, and I was just glad it worked out.

I headed for the vehicle and stopped about ten feet in front of it, glad when Corbin moved up next to me. “I’m assuming no cameras.”

“Only at the entrance/exit. Motion censored and crap from what I’m told,” he muttered.

“Seriously? This place can’t be cheap,” I muttered, glancing around at the vehicles that all screamed expensive.

“Everything in Chicago is expensive, that doesn’t mean it’s good,” he muttered.

“Fair enough.” I studied the location itself. “End spot with walls on either side. Probably a coveted spot.” I gestured to the right. “Stairwell for the parking garage?”

“No, garbage chute for the condos.”

“Smart,” I muttered. “If anyone smelled anything, they would assume it was the chute backing up or needing to be cleaned out.”

“I hate smart murderers,” Corbin grumbled. “ME took the body. They wanted to open it in a sterile environment.”

I blinked at the vehicle a bit and then turned to him. “That’s not procedure. What if they get it back and it’s a bunch of dead fruit and a damn prank?”

“I know how to do my job, Sera,” Murray snapped from behind us. “I told them it was fine since clearly it was a body.”

I ignored him and moved on. “They backed in the spot, so even if there was a fender bender, no one would think to pop the trunk.” I glanced around again before moving towards the vehicle. I couldn’t hide my shock when I found the 2016 Lexus full of baking soda. “The body wasn’t just riding on top of that.”

“No, buried in. The judge thought it was a prank or something and started trying to get it out. Hit plastic that gave into mushy—his words—and dumped more to find what was a body. He left it alone and backed away.”

I grunted in acknowledgment as I pulled out my flashlight and checked things out.

“I didn’t call you here to play CSI, Sera,” Murray snapped.

“Then what did you call me here for?” I muttered, not giving a shit and making that clear in my tone.

“To check the rest of the garage.”

I clicked off my flashlight and stood, raising an eyebrow at him. “Check it how?”

He sighed as if I was the dumbest person in the world. “Like a wolf, Sera.”

I waited for him to say more as if I didn’t already know what was going on. “Are you saying you called in the senior division chief in Chicago to come to your crime scene and act like a cadaver dog? Am I hearing your crazy correctly?”

“A dog can’t talk to me after and give me information,” he chuckled darkly. “You can. So do it and maybe I’ll give you a treat after.”

“First, what you’d think to give me for a treat would undoubtedly disgust me as you already do,” I threw right back. “Second, you don’t get to tell me how to do my job either. You called me in, and I’ll handle this how I would any case. So go stand in the corner and be useless like always until it’s time to steal credit, okay?”

“I think you misunderstand your position and rank when you talk to me like that.”

“No, you’re inflating your own, as we’re the same rank and I’m the senior chief.” I sighed when he opened his mouth and went back to the trunk. “So assuming the baking soda wasn’t just for the smell, but to control the humidity in winter, this was clearly meant to be left for a while.”

“Makes sense,” Corbin agreed, ignoring Murray’s ranting as well.

“Okay, I want a complete blackout on this. We’re going on the assumption of a body dump found too early and we don’t want to let anyone know. Keep the lid as closed as we can.”

“Might be hard with the residents, but we’ve only had a few,” Corbin muttered.

“Get the office to alert everyone there was a break-in on a long-term park and lie out their asses or something. You got the keys from the judge?” I nodded when he did. “Let’s get it taken in then. No tow. That would draw eyes unlike if it was just a window or busted door.”

“Gotcha. After the crime guys finish?”

“Yup. Good work.” I moved out of the way and glanced at Carter. He held up his phone with a message, but then it was gone again. I didn’t catch it, but luckily he’d texted me. I swallowed a sigh when I read he wanted me to use my power.

Fine, whatever.

I let it out on Murray so he wouldn’t feel it but it would loosen his tongue. I kept my focus on Carter. “Let’s walk the whole garage.”

“As a wolf,” Murray demanded. “I called you in here to be a dog like you are, Sera. Go sniff the whole place and get me the evidence I need.” He stormed towards me when I snorted and grabbed my arm, spinning me to face him. “Go get naked like a good bitch and shift into the dog you are. You hear me? Don’t make me call Perez and have him order you to do it.”

“That’s enough, Chief Murray,” Corbin snapped.

“It’s fine, Eric,” I said quietly. “Thanks, but I got this.”

“I know,” he huffed. “I know you do, Sera, but you shouldn’t have to. This is bullshit, and a lot of us are tired of it. People are starting to put in transfers and—we had an awesome office. I’m glad Brian survived and things worked out, but damn am I pissed he left us in this position.”

I glanced over at Eric with a look that I knew screamed “Preaching to the choir, Brother.” At least it amused him.

I yanked my arm away from Murray and met his angry gaze with my own. “You go right ahead and call Perez and tell him whatever you want, Murray. But I’m not a damn dog and I won’t be treated like one. So I don’t care if Perez, Galvin, or the damn president orders me to shift like a dog, I wouldn’t fucking do it. Now let me do my job since you can’t handle this.”

The hit came faster than I was even ready for. My taking his inhibitions away working a bit too well.

And I didn’t even move from the hit. I held up my hand to my security to stop them and simply smirked at Murray. “Next time you strike me, I’ll hit back, and I will break you. That’s your one warning, Andrew. And I’ll be reporting this to IA.”

“You don’t have an IA,” he sneered. “You need fucking animal control.”

I snorted and turned away, glad when I could see my security got that from several angles. I mentally praised my wolf and siren for keeping cool and our cover, both of them fuming and frothing to take the asshole out.

“That was a full fucking hit,” Sander seethed at a level the humans couldn’t hear as he fell in step with me.

“Yeah, one of you hang back and record him.”

“Carter stayed,” he muttered.

I nodded and kept moving, blinking back tears. The slap hadn’t really hurt. It was the… It wasn’t physical.

“What do you need?” Sander asked when we reached the top and moved to the other side.

“For Brian not to be around me during this,” I admitted without thinking. “Not to talk to Monroe or Galvin during it either, but I can’t ask for that.”

“You know, I get—it really irks me that they didn’t get any real punishment for doing this to you. It was just an apology. Like so what, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know. I got to beat up Monroe, but honestly…” I shook my head, stopping when Sander stopped me with his hand. “It doesn’t stop the pain. It still hurts.”

“You’re not the only one who feels that way. A lot of us do.” He nodded when I looked at him. “I was nice to both Havers and Monroe. I included them in stuff and made a point to—we let them into our clique of our teams. Monroe especially. I was upset to be in the dark. I know it happened fast with Havers getting hurt, but that’s not enough.”

“We also protect you and it was shitty,” one of the other ancients said. “Monroe is very lucky he moved to DC because he’d be getting the cold shoulder from all of the vamps in Chicago.”

“I heard he is from the DC supe office,” Emilio admitted, shrugging when I couldn’t hide my shock. “You trained them, Sera. You put in work to make this division what it is. Monroe did the budget and went to battle, but he could have done that before you. He didn’t. You did all of this and people see that. A lot of them do.”

Knowing the DC FBI supes were pissed at Monroe on my behalf actually helped. A lot.

We checked the entire parking lot and didn’t find anything.

“I want interviews scheduled with everyone who works here or would have access to the judge’s vehicle once we get more from the medical examiner,” I told Corbin.

“First, there is no reason to wait,” Murray cut in. “And second, I didn’t tell you to handle the investigation. I told you to check the parking garage and get me leads.”

I nodded to Corbin it was fine before turning to look at Murray. “You brought me in. I’m in it now, Andy.” I swallowed a smirk when he flinched. He hated that nickname. He thought Andy was childish, and I remembered that from training. “So we can be on the same team and investigation, or it can be my office versus yours. Your choice.”

Carter snorted. “Your teams would win. Hands down. And that would show Perez his boy isn’t anything special.”

“His boy?” I muttered like I didn’t already know.

Murray cut in so Carter didn’t answer as if I couldn’t ask him later. “You’re working on my team with my office.”

I gave Murray the look he deserved but didn’t bother saying anything. I was tired of repeating myself.

But we would never, not ever be on the same team.

Part of Schaumburg was in Cook County, so I knew where the body was going from that but also just because it was FBI anything we needed went to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. I didn’t need to drag Corbin into this any more than was needed.

“Let’s head to the shooting range,” I told Carter. “I need to requalify next month anyways.”

He took it in stride, but I felt his amusement.

Yeah, I was leading the gross mouse into my trap.

We grabbed food on the way, and not even ten minutes after we arrived, so did Murray. I knew my allure was just that—alluring. He’d give chase when I allowed him the opening somewhere he could as opposed to trying to explain why he was at my office or my apartment building that he wouldn’t be let into.

But it also gave me better access to him.

“How did you learn about my ring?” I asked after I draped my influence over him. The cameras my security had would pick this up and cover us, but it had irked me.

He smirked at me. “I told Ferguson. I talked with the supes in the DC office. They knew about it.”

“No way they told you. We don’t tell outsiders anything.”

He snorted and opened his suit jacket. “You don’t know the power of magic, Sera. I’ve been more in ‘your world’ longer than you have. I should be a damn supe I know so fucking much. I’ve been using magic to get what I want since high school when I met a warlock who was doing the same. He got away from me, but I found another.”

Thank you for admitting that on the record, you fuckhead. “How did you know he was doing it if you aren’t immune to magic?”

He chuckled and closed his suit jacket, buttoning it up and moving in closer. “You’re finally showing an interest in me, huh? All it took was for me to order you to get naked and smack you into place and now you’re all about me?”

I moved my hand to his chest and pushed him away when he went to move his hand to the wall next to my head. “No, Andy, I’m not interested in you. I want answers.”

“You’re pushing my buttons,” he argued, glancing at my hand as if telling me to remove it… Or move it to where he wanted, but I couldn’t think about that. “I knew your act was bull. You want the slap and tickle just like all women. Even more now that you’re a wolf, right? I heard all about Havers chaining you up and you loving it.”

I swallowed bile thinking of being chained up near Murray. “How did you know the kid was doing magic if you weren’t immune to it? It should have affected you too.”

He sighed. “He was a kid. He couldn’t do a room. It was little spurts because he was weak and didn’t even know what he was doing. He realized his dad was a warlock and bailed on him and his mom. I don’t know. I’m smarter than some idiot kid.”

“You were never smarter than me,” I chuckled darkly.

“You got yours just fine in training,” he replied, his tone frosty. “I made sure of it. A few side talks and they ridiculed you. Constantly. Always making jokes that you were drama and that’s why women shouldn’t be in the FBI.” He frowned. “But you just wouldn’t fucking quit. If you would have quit, I would have been first and the ace.”

“Was that your goal?” I asked, genuinely curious. I knew he’d wanted to screw me, but I honestly hadn’t known he’d wanted me gone. I turned up my influence when he fought it.

“I wanted you to show you where you really ranked,” he snapped. “You were such a damn bitch and ignored all of us like you were better than us. A naval officer so young and way ahead of the curve according to the instructors. But you were broken. You couldn’t even fucking talk with others in the class like someone normal.”

“You’re right; I couldn’t,” I agreed, shocking all of them. “But I also knew a lot you didn’t and stayed away from the problems, including you. You were so fucking dark and twisted in your head that I didn’t want to be anywhere near you. I still don’t. You followed me here—”

“Yeah, it’s always us and you’re fucking perfect,” he sneered.

I stood there and listened for a good ten minutes how much Murray had done to me at Quantico—way more than I’d ever known. I’d started with a roommate, but she’d dropped out right away and I’d been the only female. He exploited that constantly. Things I hadn’t even known or understood.

I listened to it all and felt so alone. He’d targeted me, and others had as well, tripping me up at every turn to try and get me to fail. All of that couldn’t have been magic, even the instructors turning a blind eye or being amused that their male students were hassling me. No way. Not with the charm he’d used.

It couldn’t change a person at their core. It could make them think I was overreacting or it wasn’t like I’d said. I could forgive that, but what Murray said showed how many fucking bullies and assholes had been in the FBI from the start of my career and I’d never seen it. I hadn’t known.

My wolf and siren were at their limit after all of that time, so I poked him so it was on film. “And I still did better than all of you. Without cheating or using magic. I was still better than you.”

Carter caught Murray’s wrist. “I can’t. I can’t stand here and let him slap you again.”

I chuckled darkly and met the vampire’s upset gaze. “If you think he’s the first to have struck me in the FBI, you’re wrong. Or the military. That’s the kicker in all of this. People whine and bitch that I say shit or complain, but I’ve never struck first. And I’ve always reported it. I’m always told to take a walk or they’ll note it like the time of day and it doesn’t matter.”

“Because you don’t matter enough for people to care, Sera,” Murray said firmly.

And he wasn’t lying. He couldn’t right then under my influence. He fully believed that.

I smiled at him. “I know. I’ve always known that, Andy. I never needed you or anyone to teach me that. I learned long before you did that people only care about you if you’re useful. That’s why I didn’t bother with the trainees at Quantico. I didn’t want to be useful to any of them. I knew they all wanted me to fail. I knew some of the instructors did too.”

“Then why didn’t you just quit?” he demanded, yanking his arm from Carter who let him go so he didn’t hurt the human.

“Because I don’t quit.” I shrugged. “I honestly laughed that you tried so hard to make me look bad and I still came out ahead of you. Others as well. Don’t you feel pathetic for having put so much effort into an endeavor just to fail that badly at it since I came out first in our class?”

That was when the real bile came from his mouth. He was still ranting as I left because I was afraid I’d actually hit him.

And a punch from me with how strong I was would kill him.

In that moment, I wouldn’t have regretted it, and people needed me not to be in jail.

9

My phone rang as I reached the parking lot. I didn’t have a lot of patience for anyone, but I still had a job to do.

Or several of them.

“Thomas.”

“You are having a bad day,” Alena worried.

“It’s fine, Mom,” I sighed. “Stupid people being stupid. Hi, how are you?”

“Well, always well, but I have more stupid people being stupid for you. I’m sorry I do.”

“It’s fine. What’s up?”

“Your president’s family has contacted us again.”

The sigh I let out could probably be heard around all of Illinois. “Why? Again?”

“Yes, his sons have made it clear we will be friends now that he is the boss of you.” She chuckled when I snorted.

“And you’ve turned them down? How many times?”

“This is the fifth time and the tone has changed,” she hedged. “It was made clear to us that we take the meeting and be amiable to what they want or you will suffer.”

“What do they want?”

“Our resorts. They always have. Long before politics, he has acted at our level and we are just waiting for him to help us.”

I burst out laughing. They had dozens of hugely successful resorts and more, and the president couldn’t even keep a casino going and sold the rights to his name for most things. Or so I thought. I honestly didn’t get all into it or care. But ever thinking that Alena was waiting for someone to swoop in and help her with anything was hysterical.

“Yes, he is stupid. But this time you were directly named. I wanted to contact you and hear your thoughts.”

“I would just be unavailable forever and leave it alone,” I muttered. “Eva knows about all of this?”

“Yes, but the calls have come for your father and me.”

“Right, but Eva knows who I’m getting help from off the record. I think the two of them need to talk and plot so we’re not ever at the center of anything. People watch us too much.”

“If that is what you wish,” she agreed after a moment. “It makes me very nervous that you’re working with someone you fear and Mother doesn’t trust to handle something you shouldn’t have to.”

“I know, me too. Hopefully, part of it will be over soon.”

“We can always hope.”

That was about all we could do. I felt Carter behind me and told him to let Enzo know and see if he would talk with Eva. The tension shot up from him and I couldn’t hide my confusion.

“It’s nothing. Just him being a dick that I’m—it’s fine.” He sighed when I raised an eyebrow. “I just hate that guy.”

Fair enough. I didn’t like Enzo much as a person either. He was just fun to play with and honestly was a fantastic lover when he wasn’t being selfish.

I sighed when I got a text from Perez about getting to the medical examiner’s office. I showed it to Carter and he adjusted his neck, clearly not happy either. Why was he involved in that way and… Never mind. I couldn’t change it anyways.

I replied back that I expected to have a say in the hiring of the next Chicago division chief for the regular office. That he’d understand once he saw what we recorded.

Hell, Sander sent it from his laptop on the drive to the ME’s office.

“Chief Thomas, thank you for coming in so quickly,” the examiner greeted after we were shown to the right area.

I nodded to the guy, having seen him around on a few cases. “How have you been?”

“There’s always a list of what I could complain about, but there’s no point,” he answered. “You’ve had a lot on your plate from the news.”

“I live to give people something to talk about.”

“Yes, I’m sure that was the goal,” he chuckled. “Well, once people find out about this, they’ll be talking a good while.”

“I was a bit surprised that I’m here already. I know I’m your favorite FBI ever, but a few hours later is turnaround like no other.”

“While you’re lovely, I like the strange ones, so I never get bored. And in the back of a trunk full of baking soda is a strange one.” He didn’t wait for me to reply, continuing as he waved me over. “Did you know that baking soda—in a form—was used in mummifying remains?”

“I read that,” I hedged, thinking back to my extra reading once I knew I’d be on murder investigations. “The salt in that area was made up of baking soda, table salt, and something so it preserved well.”

“Washing soda, yes, and nicely done. So the baking soda in the trunk was to absorb any smell, but the baking soda in the body bag was to mummify and slow decomposition.”

“Which messes up your time of death,” I muttered, pulling out my notepad and scribbling down what I needed to. “I assume that’s why the quick call. There’s no way you could pinpoint it.”

“Not with what we have here. They use special machines to carbon date mummies, but you still very much have a corpse,” he confirmed. “But I wanted you to hear it from me right away that this is not your murderer’s first show.”

“Because?” I hedged.

“He drained the body of blood.”

“Vamp?” Carter muttered. “One vampire can’t drain a full body.”

“No, but most would assume that given Chief Thomas is on the case.”

“Plus, he’s an ancient vamp who is used to only dealing with vamp crazy for a long time,” I added, shrugging when Carter snorted. I wasn’t wrong.

“Well, we have monsters that are human as well,” the examiner told us. “There are several very surgical cuts that were done after death.” He waved me closer and pulled down the sheet so I could a couple of them. “Now, I’m sure that any idiot can find how to do this on the internet these days—”

“But it’s not just something any killer or murderer can have the stomach for,” I mumbled, doing a double take when I smelled annoyance. “Sorry. I’m not trying to cut you off or rush you. It’s how I show I’m listening and tracking with you. It makes it stick in my mind, and I don’t rattle around later when you’re done with me and think of my questions.”

He opened his mouth but then closed it. “Fair. Most see it as rude or making it all about you, but there are schools of thought that it’s more like volleying the conversation to show you’re that invested. I understand and thank you for explaining.”

“Sorry if it upset you before,” I offered, not sure what else to say.

He nodded and moved on. “So right now I can tell you the body is male and you’re looking for someone with experience. Someone who put time into this killing.”

I bobbed my head as I moved around the other side. “Do you know cause of death?”

“Yes, sharp blow to the head. I would need to take some images but best guess just looking now was from behind, right to left swing of something blunt. Maybe rounded like a bat, but I wouldn’t be surprised if anything else.”

I moved away and leaned against the wall as I stared at the body. “So one blow from behind. Drag the body somewhere, drain it—”

“Wrap it with about ten pounds of baking soda and then wrap it a whole hell of a lot more,” the examiner said. “Honestly, I would almost think some type of shrink-wrap machine. The plastic was sealed.”

“Or a pallet wrapper,” I muttered. “But not too much to be stiff because then it’s not flexible. Fill the trunk some, body, fill the rest. Yeah, you got the weird one all right. We both did.”

“It keeps life interesting,” he chuckled.

Yeah, great. Most days I wanted a bit of boring.

We wrapped up and I thanked the examiner, asking he send me anything they got directly. I could practically smell his curiosity, but he left it alone and simply agreed.

I had a text waiting for me when I turned my phone back on. I sighed, wanting to just be done with this day and more, but instead I responded that I was on my way.

Thirty minutes later, I was walking into a dive bar I’d never been to before. I’d checked the address three times with Carter, but it was what Reagan had texted.

And the man was sitting at the bar waiting for me.

He smiled when he saw me and asked the bartender for two Jack doubles and a tall Jack and Coke with extra cherries.

“What are we drinking to?” I asked as I leaned in and kissed his cheek in greeting.

“Just blowing off some steam,” he said vaguely.

I saw in his eyes there was something going on when I took the stool next to him. I didn’t push and simply nodded, then thanked the bartender when our drinks arrived. We toasted with the shots and tossed them right back. I was shocked when he ordered more though. We had those, and then he handed me my drink and grabbed his beer.

Now I was really confused.

It turned out he just wanted us to not be by everyone else and we moved to the back corner.

“This was the place my parents used to drink at,” he told me, staring at the wall intently. “This was the local bar where they’d come to take the rare night off at with some of the neighbors. I haven’t been here since…” He shook his head. “I’ve never been in here legal, just during the day a few times when Dad had a few extra bucks and brought us in for a burger.”

“Has it changed much?” I asked, not really sure what to say.

He shrugged. “I don’t remember that much of it. It wasn’t that big of a part of our lives.” He gave me a sad smile as he looked at me. “It was the first real time I realized how unfair life could be though.” He nodded past me to a four-person table. “We were sitting right there with Dad and some other family was at the table next to us.

“Dad and the guy chatted, and Hagan was talking with the two kids a bit. Nothing big. I remembered listening and just enjoying the moment.” He took a long drink of his beer. “We’re wrapping up and the guy says to Dad that it must be hard to juggle us. Dad laughed it off like he always did that it was double hard with twins, but at least it was one shot.”

“That’s not what the guy meant?” I pushed when he was quiet.

“No, he meant having a normal kid and a weird one.”

“Yeah, us quiet ones were always weird,” I chuckled bitterly. “I’m glad at least that’s changed. I used to hate that fucking assumption. Now people assume Ben is plotting world domination or coding something cool.” I took a drink of my own. “I’m glad that’s changed.”

“Me too. I didn’t think of that but yeah, I’m glad it’s changed.” He cleared his throat. “I’m a bit older than you and it was worse then. Especially since boys should be rambunctious and all that bullshit. The guy thought I was mentally challenged. That was what he assumed just by me sitting there and simply enjoying the conversation.”

“He was an asshole. People are judgy and stupid.”

“Yeah, they are, but I got that a lot. It hurt. It hurt in a way that was hard to articulate.” He gave me a knowing look, and I instantly knew why we were sitting there alone.

I swallowed loudly and then tossed back my drink. “I’m scared I was really right and I’m too broken to be a mom, Reagan. I resented my son today.”

“No, you got jealous of your kid brother,” he corrected. “And as someone who was constantly jealous of his, I get it.” He snorted. “Fuck, no one ever picked me over him. No one.” He reached over and ran his fingers over my hand. “Before you. You liked us both, but I knew we had more first.”

I opened my mouth but then closed it. “I don’t know. I felt—it was more intense with you. I guess I never—it never felt like one or the other. You guys were always separate to me.”

“That’s why you’re not like others even if that sounds cliché,” he muttered. “People always lumped us together, and Hagan was the better twin. He was the social one, the likable one.” He leaned in and I realized Reagan had had more than that beer before I arrived. His lips were soft against my cheek. “I keep forgetting what I’m trying to say. Fuck, you are so beautiful.”

“Thanks. Today was so ugly that I needed to hear that.”

“I’ll tell you that every day, jelly bean.” He was giving me a very wolfish grin when I leaned away and searched his eyes. “Hard shell that’s bright and pretty, but inside is all sweet and exactly what I want on my tongue.”

Wow. Just… Wow.

His eyes flashed shock. “You like it.”

I swallowed a giggle. “It seems I do.”

He leaned back in. “Can I gobble you up tonight, jelly bean?”

It was so ridiculously cheesy and childish, but I’d not had much of that, and I honestly loved it. “After we finish what you were trying to tell me. How long were you here?”

“Since Dain called me from the plane saying he fucked up and hurt you.” He shrugged when I couldn’t hide my shock. “He asked me what to do and I said nothing, that I’d tag in.”

“Why?”

“He doesn’t have a healthy relationship with his sibling after everything that happened. He was more her parent, and it went to shit. That won’t help you right now.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine in a soft, sweet kiss that made my heart race. “You’re not a monster or jerk, Sera. You’re being normal.

“Siblings get jealous of each other. Topher’s gonna go through shit later about being in your shadow and compared to you. It’s all normal. It sucks, but it is.” He gave me another kiss like he had to. “I love you just the same. I don’t judge you at all for this, and you need to stop judging yourself. You didn’t do anything wrong, jelly bean.”

“It felt wrong.”

“Because you’re fucking perfect and hold yourself to a higher standard than a god or gods,” he said with a chuckle. He cupped my cheek before standing. “Just hear me and settle with that for a moment. I’m going to get you another drink and a few shots to catch up with me. You’re a ball of upset and it kills me, so we’re taking the night off.”

“Okay.” A few more drinks—or a dozen—sounded great even. “I’m hungry too.”

He winked at me. “I’m hungry for you too, jelly bean.”

That actually made me swoon instead of laugh. Fuck, Reagan was even more his intense Reagan-ness when he was drinking. I’d not really seen him buzzed or a bit drunk.

Was it wrong that I thought it was sexy and a side of him I needed to see more often?

Probably.

He came back with three doubles and another Jack and Coke for me… Remembering my cherries. He set them all in front of me and nodded. “Toss one back before I say what’s next.”

Crap. I did it immediately and gave him a worried look which amused him, his deep chuckle making me shiver. “Let’s get through the adult stuff and your drinks, and then I can take you home and fuck you until you forget everything upsetting you. And then I’ll feed you whatever you want before I give you more of my cock.”

Yeah, I tossed back my shots faster than he could finish talking.

Easy decision.

10

Reagan laughed so hard at my antics, it echoed around the bar and people glanced over at us. I simply sat there sipping my remaining drink and batting my eyelashes at him.

Then he kissed me like no one else was around and I had to stop him.

Even if I didn’t want to.

“We should pay the tab.”

“I already did.” He covered my hand when I went to stand. “Wait, your security will hear like always, but we don’t need to be in the vehicle with them chipping in. This is just between us.”

Right, adult shit. I nodded and turned my hand over so he could grasp mine.

His gaze was serious when I met his eyes. “I don’t pick Topher over you. I can’t pick between you.” He lifted my hand to his lips. “I love you. I love my son. You are a package deal to me even if two separate people. If you’re both drowning, I’m saving both of you or I’ll die trying. No choosing. I save whoever is closer and grab the other.”

And that was why he’d wanted me away from others at a place that meant something to him. He understood not being picked first or others picking his sibling over him.

I let out a slow breath and nodded. “It’s just all muddled inside of me and so much else going on, you know?”

“I know. Yeah, I know, and we live with a lot of crazy.” He studied me a few moments. “You believe me, right?”

“Yes. My wolf is very sure you’re telling the truth, and I can feel your conviction through our bond.” I let out another slow breath. “I even believe it’s the same for Dain and everyone else who loves Topher. I just wasn’t ready for the conversation and everything spinning out on me like that.”

“That’s fair.” He nodded when I frowned. “Sera, you didn’t throw a fit and tell Dain to fuck off. You took a minute and felt bad before the next crazy. Cut yourself some fucking slack.”

“I like drunk you,” I chuckled, shrugging when he couldn’t hide his shock. “It’s a different side of you and I like all of your sides.” I hurried to have the rest of my drink because that wasn’t actually true. I hadn’t liked the mean side of Reagan that had hurt me so badly over a year ago.

But it was time to move on past that.

I just didn’t know how.

Shocking.

He ignored that or didn’t catch it in his current state and took my hand again. “It’s time to admit you’re never coming home.” He shook his head when I went to pull my hand away. “No, I said that wrong. It’s time to admit that house isn’t your home. The apartment is and that’s not changing.”

He wouldn’t let me go, moving closer and putting his other hand on my thigh.

“I don’t think we should talk about this here,” I muttered as I stared at my now-empty glass wishing it would magically refill.

“I want to.” He nodded when I met his gaze and didn’t hide my shock. “I want this place to have new memories and meaning for me.” He gave me a soft smile. “You’ll give me what I want. It’s what you do, Sera. I could ask you to blow me in the bathroom and you would just to make me happy.”

“Not if we’d get caught,” I argued.

He simply chuckled and pulled my chair closer so his knee was between mine. “This isn’t a bad talk, I promise. It’s just time to handle a few things.” He waited until I nodded. “The boys can’t keep sharing that one room. It’s huge, sure, but it was different when they didn’t know us. Now they do, and they want to get to know themselves.”

“Yeah, okay, that makes sense,” I accepted easily.

But clearly, he was starting with easy from the way he rubbed my leg as if to give me comfort.

“I don’t want to be so far from you. I’m yours now and we’re back together. This isn’t about Topher but yes, I’d like to be closer. This is…”

“What?” I worried when he frowned. I leaned in and cupped his cheek. “Tell me. You can tell me anything always, Reagan. I love you.”

He slowly smiled. “You got a buzz now too. You say it so easy when you’re tired or drinking.”

He was right. I was buzzed and acknowledged it.

“I feel left out. There’s like a wall up. The apartment building is yours and we can just visit. That was fine, but now—I don’t like it when we’re back together. I want more.”

“Okay, so live in that apartment,” I hedged.

“I also want my own apartment.” He nodded when I frowned. “You made me see that Hagan and I aren’t just a duo and… I feel like I want to explore more of who I am just like you did. I want my own apartment there and to be closer to you and Topher. I want to stop feeling like I need to ask permission to visit and be around.”

“Whatever you need,” I immediately agreed.

“This is why I love you so fucking much,” he whispered as he leaned in more. I swallowed a yelp as he pulled me over to straddle his lap. “I love you, Sera. With all of me.” He brushed his lips over mine. “And I want a fucking key. My wolf is pissed that others have a key and I’m yours and don’t have one.”

“Okay.” I smiled when that got me another kiss.

“Hey, get a room,” someone called over sounding half in the bag as well.

Reagan seemed to shrug and agree with the guy, standing with me and trying to get me to wrap around him. I laughed and made him set me on my feet. The tab was done, so we just left.

And then I was pressed up against the SUV and Reagan’s hands were mapping out my body.

“I going to be inside of you all night,” he growled against my lips. “Just me tonight, yeah?”

I nodded. Yes, fine, sure—whatever he wanted. Just give me more of his intensity and desire for me.

“Get in before I strip you here,” he grumbled, hurrying to open the door for me.

“Wait, didn’t you drive here?” Emilio asked Reagan.

“Oh, right.” He pulled out his keys and tossed them to Sander. “My truck is down the block. Thanks.”

“Sure, yeah, I’ll drive it for you,” Sander drawled.

We ignored my security’s amusement and climbed in, Carter asking what we wanted for food.

“Portillo’s,” Reagan answered for me. “I want her moaning to start and finish. But not yet. I’m washing the day off of her first.”

“Wow, okay, I’m getting turned on and you’re not my type,” Emilio muttered.

Reagan ignored him and kissed me. “Okay, more adult stuff. So I want to move into the apartment building on my own. Hagan will probably be back and forth like before.”

“That’s fine.”

“Alok and Tasar talked to me about moving into your master bedroom.” He nodded when I blinked at him. “They want to watch over the boys more and—Dain wants an apartment as well. He’s in the city too often and—”

“We talked. He already has one,” I interjected.

“Good. Alok and Tasar want to use their house for fairy families transitioning to Illinois. Buying outright is scary so they want another option.”

“Fair, and the townhouses are more for singles or couples,” I agreed.

“Exactly. Goran is always gone and Zlat is mostly living with his lover.”

“I didn’t know that second part,” I admitted. “Will we have enough security for the boys?”

“Well, they’re not kids and could go out on their own,” he reminded me, nodding when I did. It was a hard topic, and while they weren’t kids, they hadn’t had a chance to learn everything kids needed, and as rabbits would always be hunted.

So complicated and dangerous stuff.

“I talked to Nasir and Jalal,” he continued. “They don’t want to be the art thief twins anymore. They want to be trained better and be the guards for the boys. Some of the ancients did buy a house there too and have been using it more.”

“We have,” Emilio confirmed. “The apartment is great, but… We’re fine being flexible. I just grab a bag a lot and crash at the other place or here, or if I need to chill a few days I go to the house. It keeps us jumping in so we don’t get bored but not all over each other.”

I nodded that I heard him, keeping Reagan’s gaze. “I trust you. Whatever you think is best.”

He really liked the compliment, his wolf moving behind his eyes. He leaned in and licked my lower lip. “Because I’m your top Beta, right? I run the pack and make the adult decisions for us.”

“Mostly. Not to slight anyone else but yeah, you’re top Beta.”

“And yours.”

“And mine,” I purred. We made out like teenagers on the drive, but when we pulled up to the apartment, I had a change of plans. “We always play in the shower. I’m going to shower and put on something. You talk to Carter about which apartment and stuff.”

“Deal.” The moment we were out of the SUV, I was pressed up against it again. “I want your hair wet and no makeup. I love your fresh out of the shower look. It’s why I’m always trying to get you in the shower.”

“You and Brian have such a damn shower fetish.” I raised an eyebrow when several of the ancients snorted.

Okay, not just those two then.

I took a fast shower and only towel-dried my hair before brushing it out. Then I threw on a black lingerie set with garters, belt—the whole thing. I had just finished up when there was a quick knock and then a key unlocked my door.

“Is that fine?” Reagan checked as he came in.

“Yes, if I know you’re coming,” I muttered, frowning when I saw a large shopping bag in his hand. “What’s that?”

“Oh, something I had in my truck for you.” He shook his head when I reached for it. “Later.” He locked the door behind him and set it on the ground before storming over to me. “You look fucking delicious, jelly bean. I need a taste.”

He didn’t give me a chance to respond, picking me up and setting me on the table laid out. He kissed me before moving down my body.

I gasped as he pulled the panties aside and lapped at me. Fast at first but then slow, long licks getting every inch of me.

“Fucking delicious. And mine.”

“Yours,” I promised when he didn’t do anything else. “Yours.”

“Whatever I want tonight?” he chuckled, but then lifted his head when I flinched. “What?”

“I realized I don’t want you behind me,” I muttered. “I forgive you for what happened, but I feel… I’m not ready for that. You said something super painful to me when you were—my wolf doesn’t want to let you do that again. For now.”

Me too, but my wolf was more adamant.

He swallowed loudly. “I know that’s your favorite though. It feels as good if not in that position, right?”

I smiled at him, touched that was his first concern. “I’m sure you’re talented enough to make sure.” I cleared my throat. “You love me enough to make sure.”

“Damn right I do,” he growled and went back to tasting me.

A lot.

After my fifth orgasm that way, he stood and eyed me over. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Thank you for loving me, Sera.”

I felt my face flush even hotter than from all of the fun. “Thank you for loving me, Reagan.” I about swallowed my tongue when he reached behind his head and pulled off his shirt by the collar. Every inch of him was flexing and on display for me.

Fuck, he was hot.

But also bigger than I remembered. I blinked a moment and then met his eyes studying me.

“So you didn’t notice because I’ve only been back a bit and we’ve had sex in the dark,” he hedged.

“Are we talking about the same thing? Have you put on bulk?” I sat up and ran my fingers over his chest.

“Yes, about twenty pounds.” He nodded when I couldn’t hide my shock. “My Alpha made it clear we all needed to train harder. I listened. I trained and trained more at Quantico and not just for the FBI. I was also sparring with Marines and instructors all over the place so I kept working on my control. They even let my wolf run if I needed.”

“Wow, you—your so fucking intense and all-in.”

“Pot, kettle,” he chuckled before clearing his throat. “So you like?”

I grabbed his hand and moved it to my pussy. “Yeah, I’m dripping from just looking at you. I didn’t think getting bigger would work for you, but it’s the right amount and sexy as fuck. I mean, you’re more defined and—fuck me. Fuck me now.”

“Shit, I’ll keep working always,” he moaned as he shoved his fingers in me.

I hadn’t meant just his fingers, but damn it felt good.

He pulled down one side of my bra and sucked on my nipple harder than normal as he was rough with my pussy in a way I really liked. I came moaning his name… And begging for more.

“What do you want, Sera?” he teased as he kissed up my neck.

“I thought it was what you wanted?”

He chuckled against my skin. “You know I just want to give you what you want.”

That wasn’t true. I mean, yes, it was, but he also had wants.

I leaned away and he stood up straighter, staring into my eyes. I swallowed loudly and was honest, really honest with him. “I want you to take what you want. You liked how I saw things and gave it to you. I can’t do that anymore, so I want you to trust me when I say I’ll give you what you want and to take it.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I’ve said all night that you give me what I want always.”

That was fair and I said as much. “I get scared you won’t think the trade-off is worth it.”

“Not just me,” he said gently.

“No, but I missed things with you before and it—I’m scared. So I want you to trust me and love me enough that you hear me. I want to be what you want. I want…”

“I get it,” he whispered against my lips. He smiled when he lifted me up and I yelped. He carried me over to the overstuffed couch and sat me on the back of it. He undid his jeans and finished getting undressed, his large, fat cock slapping up against his stomach. He stroked it and smirked as I watched before moving back between my legs.

“You are so godsdamn sexy that it drives me crazy,” I admitted, fighting not to flush again and failing.

“I like you a little crazy,” he teased… And then thrust in me before I knew what was happening. He moved my ankle to his shoulder and grabbed my hip before doing it again. “I want it a bit rough. I want you to ache later and think I loved on you that good.” He thrust even harder and deeper, fisting my hair and bringing my face to his. “I want to give you intense you won’t forget.”

“Please,” I whimpered. “I want that too.”

“Because you’re perfect.” He grabbed the garter belt for leverage while keeping his hold on my hair and fucked me. It was raw and passionate and intense as he kept my gaze the whole time.

I held onto him with one hand and balanced with the other while letting out whimpers of pleasure. I was drowning in the hormones and lust we were putting out but even more than that, our wolves were being carnal and on the same page.

He finished deep inside of me with several grunts and final thrusts. He stayed there and held me close… As his hand moved over my stomach.

“Do you want kids?” I blurted when I realized what I was getting from him.

He swallowed loudly. “Yeah, my answer’s changed on that. I mean, I didn’t not want them, but now I do. Since you sirened me, my wolf is clear that one day we will get you pregnant and have pups with you.” He leaned back and met my gaze. “I knew your opinion on this when we got together. I’m fine with it. I just don’t want to lie to you.”

“Thank you.” I leaned in and kissed him. “My answer’s ‘maybe’ now.” I nodded when he couldn’t hide his shock. “I’m not ready, but seeing you guys with Topher… It seems like a future I’m not as against. I don’t know. It’s definitely not the time, but maybe one day.” I cleared my throat and looked away. “My wolf made it clear she wants Eugene’s pups.”

“Hey, that’s okay,” he whispered. “You guys—your wolves courted each other too. There’s a bond there.” He nuzzled my neck. “I would love those pups like mine. I didn’t mean they have to biologically be mine.”

“You don’t want that?” I worried.

He shrugged. “Yeah, but… You can’t have all of our kids or we’re really going to have a circus. I think as long as there are some wolf pups, that would be what my wolf really wants.” He didn’t say anything a moment and then nodded. “Yeah, as long as they knew I was their dad too my wolf is fine. Pack is family.”

“I’m not as against it, but I don’t think the timing is right. We’re in too much danger.”

“Agreed.” He repeated it when I searched his eyes. “I’m talking like in ten years. I just didn’t want this to hang between us. That was the mistake I made before. I want more time-outs and to talk to you always when things come up.”

I decided to give him something, some part of me that maybe the others didn’t have. I pulled him closer so he pushed in me deeper and pressed my lips to his ear. “You’re the easiest for me to talk to like that. You always hear me and listen. I want to be the same for you, Reagan. Always. I want the same with you.”

I couldn’t hide my shock when his dick twitched inside me.

He shrugged. “Yeah, it gets me hot to know this is as real for you as it is for me. You’re my mate, Sera. I know it.” He chuckled when I blushed. “You are, but there’s no rush.” He brushed his lips over mine. “And I’m enjoying being back so we can honeymoon.”

“It’s good so far,” I teased.

He raised an eyebrow at that. “‘Good?’ Did you just say ‘good’ to what I gave you?”

“I did.” I licked my lips and eyed him over. “Why? Do you have something better for me?”

That was how I ended up on my back on my bed folded in a ball and screwed senseless.

“I can’t feel my legs,” I chuckled when we were done. “My whole lower half is numb and twitching.”

He leaned over and kissed me. “Anything to say now?”

I licked my lips and stared him over. “What else are you going to give me after feeding me?”

“Everything.”

Nice.

11

Reagan kept his word, and we had an amazing night before curling up together to sleep. The next morning, I woke agitated and almost itchy, so I talked to my wolf.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he took in a deep breath, clearly waking up when he felt something from me.

“My wolf wants to be mean,” I grumbled, sighing when she snapped at me. “She wants to make sure past mistakes made aren’t repeated.”

“Okay, well, whatever she needs,” he said easily.

“It’s mean,” I argued. “I don’t think it’s fair to be mean after we had something so amazing.”

He kissed my hair and moved over me. “Sera, I didn’t just hurt you, I hurt my Alpha. We took a while to get back together, and my wolf wants to make sure I don’t fuck things up this time too. Let her make her point. She’s probably also testing that I will be loyal this time and not fail you.”

Bingo. My wolf about wagged her tail and barked in agreement, happy he understood.

“She’s thrilled you get it,” I admitted. “If you’re sure?”

“I love naughty before coffee,” he chuckled against my lips. “And I’m making you breakfast.”

“I’d kick your ass if you did this to me, not make you breakfast.”

“You’re Alpha.”

Yes, but that didn’t forgive everything or bad behavior even.

We were both shocked to find Carter sitting in the kitchen, Starbucks there and waiting for us.

I simply pointed from him to the coffee to the door as if that would convey what I couldn’t with words.

He shrugged. “You called me. I felt it and thought coffee when I realized you were still sleeping.”

“I’ve never called someone in my sleep before,” I mumbled, glancing around for my phone.

“No, he doesn’t mean your cell,” Reagan hedged. “You mean like how she sends out power? You felt that?”

Carter slowly nodded. “It was like I was sleeping and felt that but knew it was only for me.”

“Well, that’s new,” I drawled. “Always fun.” I snorted. “I’m glad that Reagan agreed to my wolf being mean.”

“What does she want?” Carter asked, studying me carefully.

I cleared my throat and Reagan slid his arm around me, promising it would be okay. “For you to bend me over and fuck me while Reagan watches. That was when we had—my wolf wants him to see others do what he…”

“I get it,” Reagan whispered and kissed my hair. “I’ll watch you have fun while I make us breakfast.”

“I get it, but I don’t,” I admitted.

“I won’t try to explain a female, much less a female Alpha wolf,” Carter muttered as he stood. “But I need to know you’re fine with it. I was still in a time-out.”

“Not really, but more probation now.”

“I don’t deserve probation, but I will take it.” He was in front of me before I could even think to reply. He slid his arm around me and pulled me away from Reagan. “Good morning, darling.”

“Good morning,” I whispered against his lips. “How do you want me?”

“My truthful answer would require you to take a month off of work,” he said with a sexy chuckle. He pulled off the hoodie I was wearing so I stood there naked. His hands ran all over my body and got me wound up as he kissed me silly. “I think bent over the counter while he cooks for you will make the statement right.”

“Uh-huh,” I moaned as he palmed my ass and teased my body. I heard his zipper and got the idea, reaching for him and stroking his already hard dick. “Did you wake wanting me?”

“Every fucking morning,” he admitted at a level Reagan couldn’t hear. “And we will talk later about you calling me.” He kissed me when I sighed.

Yeah, something to add to the list for sure.

He guided me over to the counter and had me lean over on my elbows. Then he knelt behind me and said good morning the fun way as I watched Reagan move around my kitchen. The moment I orgasmed, Carter stood and thrust in me hard enough to take all of the air from my lungs.

He wrapped one arm around my waist and his other hand grabbed my breast as he started a fast and amazing pace. I cried out his name as he made me finish again.

And fast. Something Reagan wasn’t a fan of.

But then Carter did it again and again. I came so many times that I couldn’t count or even think of my damn name.

Breakfast was made by the time Carter finished inside of me… Even if he wasn’t done with me yet.

He moved my knee up onto the counter and kept going. “My seed is running all down her and leaving my scent.”

“No poking,” I moaned. “That’s how you got in trouble to start.”

“You’re right. Sorry, I thought that the point.”

“From me. Not you,” I said firmly.

“Fine, but it drives me mad to watch it leak back out of you while we fuck and know I’m going to fill you more,” he replied as he moved faster. He fisted my hair and turned me to kiss him, shoving in me harder and harder.

And yes, I finished a few times.

Then he pulled me to stand up and let my leg fall. I gripped the counter firmly as he plowed me so damn good I felt like my head was going to pop off.

He growled my name and his fangs ran over my neck as he orgasmed again. There were several deep, jerky thrusts as he rode the waves of pleasure. Then we were both gasping for air as he held me to him and that was the only way I was still standing.

“Why Carter?” Reagan asked when we started to recover.

“I assumed she heard about Saturday,” Carter hedged.

“What’s Saturday?” I asked.

Carter gently pulled out of me and turned me around so my butt hit the counter. He cupped my cheek and searched my eyes. “Why me, darling?” He smiled when I felt my face heat even hotter. “There’s a reason, huh?” He chuckled when I simply cleared my throat. His fingers ran over my pussy. “Tell me. Please? I’ll give you a hundred IOUs to do that again.”

I snorted.

“Anytime you want,” he promised. “Just a text cashing in an IOU and I’ll eat you out and fuck you just like this. Anytime, anywhere, without question or drama.”

My eyes went wide, and my mouth moved before I even realized it. “You fuck me best in that position. Maybe not the best sex I’ve ever had in that position, but it’s always, always amazing. I can count on it like Chicago having traffic. I love when you fuck me like that most.”

Carter froze and simply stared at me for a whole minute. It started to get awkward, and I was about to move away from him.

But then I was bent over the table and he was fucking my brains out.

“You can’t fucking say things like that to me and not expect me to get more possessive and demanding with you,” he grunted in between thrusts. “A thousand IOUs. Fuck, I’ll give you whatever you want, Sera. Just—you fucking melt me.”

Okay then. Apparently, awkward honesty could be rewarded.

When we finished that time, I couldn’t move. My entire body was spent, sated, and numb.

“I fucking want you again,” he admitted as he softly kissed my shoulder. “Thank you for saying that. Really. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I mumbled and then giggled. “I think I’m still coming.”

“You are,” Reagan said quietly. “Can you feed so you won’t hurt? That was a bit much after what we already did.”

It took me two tries, but then I turned my head and looked at him. “Are you upset?”

“Nope, that was sexy as fuck.” He leaned in and gave me a kiss, clearly wanting me to feed, so I did.

But I also enjoyed the kiss.

“I just can’t take you like that. That was much, much rougher than I would have thought you’d like.”

“Something to explore then,” I hedged, but more asked.

“Sounds like fun.” He smiled at me, and I saw he got the point though.

Or my wolf did. She was satisfied that he understood that I always deserved his A game and not just because I was his Alpha.

Because I was fucking awesome.

Yeah, but so was he, and that was why I felt like a bitch half of the time with my wolf and siren, but for right then, I let it go.

And let Carter give me a quick shower.

Breakfast was still amazing and I thanked Reagan a few times for it. He gave me a soft kiss when we were done and leaned over, his hands moving by my neck. I flinched but let him knowing something was going on.

“You’re not big on diamonds or bling,” he said softly as he put a necklace on me. “I love your birthstone, but you hate your birthday, so I didn’t want to go with that. Immediately, everyone thinks sapphires because of your pretty eyes, and I thought of that for a bit as well. But then I realized I wanted to give you something with maybe cliché meaning but special to me.”

I reached up and felt the teardrop pendant hanging from my neck now. I glanced down and smiled. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s really pretty. It’s a classic look and sleek. I really like it.”

“I thought you would.” He sat back and smiled. “It’s a moonstone. It was used for protection, and I verified with Nina that witches use it in protection spells. With everything going on, I wanted to give you something that amplified my promise to protect our family. Every time you wear it, it’s right there saying I’m protecting us.

“It’s also known for soothing insomnia and warding off nightmares.” He tucked my wet hair behind my ear. “You have too many worries that I can’t make go away, but I’ll always be here to hold you at night and make sure you sleep soundly. I hope this helps me do it. I just wanted you to have something special and a necklace seemed best.”

And then he glanced at my engagement ring from Brian.

I swallowed loudly. “Is this like a ring?”

“No, you sirened me, Sera. That’s the same thing. This is just something from me to show my love. When we eventually mate—down the road so don’t panic—I’ll wear whatever wedding band you pick out for me, okay?”

I took in a slow breath and nodded. “Okay.”

He smiled. “Okay.”

“I really like it,” I promised as he got up and started clearing plates.

“And I fell a bit in love with you for how you gifted it,” Carter praised. “You are smooth, very smooth.”

Yeah, he was. I was nodding when he looked like he might blast Carter, and Reagan chilled when he realized no one was mocking him.

The large man actually flushed a bit, tucking his curly auburn hair behind his ears. He’d let it grow that long now and I fucking loved it.

“Thanks, Hagan is normally the one who knows what to say.”

“He knows how to crack jokes and ease tension,” I clarified. “I think you always speak from the heart and—we don’t always have to be the ones talking but when we do, we believe in what we’re saying.”

“Yeah, we do,” he agreed.

I hurried to get ready for work when I saw the time, changing my outfit so it would show off my new pretty necklace. I kissed Reagan goodbye and thanked him for helping me through something rough.

Then I remembered Topher. I hadn’t seen him last night, and he would worry if I didn’t stop in. I did quickly, and luckily he was a baby and had no idea anything could still be going on.

Dain on the other hand clearly was worried. He was waiting for me in the parking garage… And so was Brian.

“I’ve had a really nice night and morning to help me handle too much bad. I don’t want to get into it with either of you, so either push it off or know you’re going to ruin my moment of peace and smiles.”

“Wow,” Emilio whispered, most of the ancients looking at me like they were shocked I was so harsh.

“I’m dealing with shit I shouldn’t have to. I’m saying I’m at my limit.” I got a bit squirmy when they kept looking at me. “Phobie said I need to tell people when I need boundaries or—was it too mean?”

“No,” Dain said firmly. He moved closer and kissed my cheek. “I simply wanted to wish my wife a good day and to be safe. I love you.”

I nodded. “I love you too.”

“I just wanted to confirm with you that you want me to give you space for a bit,” Brian said next. “I texted, but you didn’t answer. I don’t know what’s going on. Monroe said to stay out of it which worries me they’re asking you to do something they shouldn’t.”

“I’m finishing things with Murray. I’m cleaning up the mess you three made, and until it’s over, I don’t want to deal with any of you. I’m sorry, I don’t. Fair or not.” I growled when he opened his mouth. “I had to let that asshole treat me like a cadaver dog yesterday and he fucking slapped me, okay? I can’t handle your feelings and nail his ass.”

He swallowed loudly and nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are. I just need space to finish this so I don’t lash out.” I didn’t wait for him to say anything else, not wanting to get into it. There wasn’t anything to really get into… Except. I froze with my hand on the door handle. “I get it. You wanted to make sure you didn’t make a mistake and abandon me. Thank you. I appreciate you checking. I do need space.”

“I love you, babe, and I’ll be here when you’re ready, and you can kick my ass all over the place,” he said quietly. “I want to hug you and hold you through this. Just know that.”

I nodded and got in. We’d talked like adults or whatever, so now I could go.

Right?

I hoped so because there was a lot of work to be done especially when the body was identified.

Chess Poultry was honestly unremarkable. He was a white male in his seventies, retired, and boring besides one note that he was a bit toxic online.

Well, that didn’t give us much to go on, but I’d worked with less.

The judge said he didn’t know him, but he’d worked with a lot of people over the years, but he couldn’t be sure. Fair enough.

Everything we pulled on Chess Poultry said they would never have crossed paths, but we would have to dig deeper. He didn’t live at the same complex as the judge and none of the people who worked there recognized his photo.

Chess had been reported missing in early December, so that gave us a clearer picture of how long he could have been in the judge’s vehicle. I hoped at least that gave the ME more to work with.

With my luck? Probably not.

It was two days of striking out, so I was more than ready to be done with the week and just have a quiet St. Patrick’s Day in the party room at the apartment. Instead, I arrived home to find Enzo sitting at my table looking like the cat that ate the canary.

“I doubt you came here for corned beef and green beer,” I said with a sigh as I set everything down on the counter.

“No, but I brought something to make you want to celebrate,” he replied ominously. He didn’t explain, simply sliding his tablet across the table.

I gave him what he wanted and walked closer to pick it up. I frowned when I saw it was a video and hit play.

“I can give you Sera,” Carter said, the camera the one on his collar pin he used on his ties to be fancy.

Murray rolled his eyes. “You’re just as infatuated with her as all of the others. Don’t give me that shit and think I’m stupid enough to believe it.”

“She’s the best fuck I’ve ever had, and I plan on fucking her for a long time, but she has too much power, and vamps aren’t a fan of that. I’m taking over her coven of ancients and will make sure to run things. I’m already head of security in Chicago and her right hand.”

“Planning to fuck her forever isn’t giving her over to me.”

“I didn’t say give her over to you,” Carter drawled. “You’re selfish and want her. I meant I can give your side what they want and Sera controlled. I’ll take her out of the spotlight and get her under wraps—”

I shut it off and tossed it on the table. “Celebrate what? You were right to hate him and he’s a traitor? Yeah, great, let’s drink that I’m a fucking moron again.”

Enzo’s eyes went comically wide, and for the second time ever, the man seemed unable to form words in my presence. He shook himself out of it and stood. “I’m very sorry. I never would have thought—it’s a ploy, Seraphine. Carter came to me and thought he had an opening, and we worked it.”

I glanced away from his piercing gaze and tried to calm down. Yeah, I wasn’t happy that he hadn’t warned me.

“I wouldn’t have thought you would ever doubt him,” he defended when I didn’t say anything.

I snorted and met his gaze. “My parents ditched me in a horrible part of the city hours before anything opened. They knew I could get nabbed or worse and didn’t care. I learned that when I saw my father again and I caught an image that he was glad for once that no one had killed me that day so he could get money from me when he needed it.

“So my faith was broken early. I’ve told you and Apollo many times that I’m not as naïve as you both think. People betray each other all of the fucking time. I see it every fucking day in my job and have lived it more times than I can count. It hasn’t stopped because I became a supe. Vlad was a prime example of that.”

“Not Carter. As much as we are oil and water, that man cannot betray people after the way he was betrayed. You are the same, and I thought you understood that about him. I am sorry you didn’t and my framing of this hurt you.”

I shrugged. “You’re not perfect. I already knew that.” I sighed and gestured to the tablet. “So what’s the gist?”

“The goal is to find out who else is working with Ferguson,” he muttered.

“Right, but I plan on getting Murray to sing once I get to cuff him. We know he’s dirty, and I’ll get it all out of him now that Galvin gave me the green light.”

He sighed and actually swore under his breath in French and said I was too frustrating for words. He sighed again when I simply raised an eyebrow. “There is an art in taking down an enemy, Seraphine. We want more than answers but to destroy the opposition, break them. You have to give them opportunities to think they have a chance at winning.”

I bobbed my head and offered him a drink before I said that he was sounding like a Bond villain. Who had time to waste with setting people up that way? What did it really matter if they thought they could handle me before we took them down?

They wouldn’t attack then. I froze in grabbing the scotch he liked and blinked at him. “You’re giving them false hope so they back off for the moment. Even if Murray is taken off the board by Perez, these assholes will think Carter is a viable option.”

“Yes.”

I blew out a slow breath and poured him a double. “That’s a dangerous game.”

“Yes, but it makes someone thousands of years old the target for the moment instead of you who is young and vulnerable in several areas including having a son. You have to know they are digging into Topher’s past and trying to use that against you.”

I nodded. “He has dual citizenship and is officially recognized as a noble fairy’s son. Laila is coming next month to bless him because we’re worried about traveling with Topher after the ICE bullshit going over the line.”

“Smart. You have all the protections in place, and I don’t see a way they can take him, but you know he’s a target.” He waited until I nodded. “Carter has no such targets besides you and your other ancients who can handle themselves.”

I brought the glass over to him and we sat at the table. “I get keeping the bad guys distracted while you get the evidence and make the bust, but this seems like a risky gamble.”

“All gambles are risky, just to different levels.” He took a small slip and cleared his throat. “Still, Carter is used to this sort of maneuver, and no one thinks to slap a man to get him in line.”

I did a double take and noticed how tense his shoulders were. “You’re being really protective of me if Murray slapping me set this into motion.”

“That was Carter’s motivation, but I cannot say mine wasn’t aligned.” He sighed when I simply stared at him. “You are an infuriating woman, no one debates that—”

“And I would never deny it,” I drawled.

“But there is something about you that pushes people to protect you,” he continued. “The fact that the maggot touched you in such a way upsets many of us. It’s also the audacity of treating a supe like a dog even if we don’t always get along with shifters. Even the ancient vampires I know that look down their noses at shifters would never be so crass.”

Fair enough.

I appreciated the backup even if I didn’t like the play.

Oh, and Enzo totally came to experience St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. He had several choice words about the river being turned green and how uncouth people acted at the parade… While not saying he hated the outing. The ancient vampire got to experience something new, and he damn well enjoyed his green beer and corned beef sandwich later.

Something that amused a lot of us.

Even if we were worried he was getting a bit too comfortable being around.

12

Saturday morning, I was woken early and not in the mood to be. After I went to the bathroom, I didn’t even realize what was going on until I was in one of the SUVs and we were moving.

Huh?

“Reagan got you changed and out the door,” Emilio said, his tone amused. “He thought you might sleep on the drive, but the moment we moved, you woke.”

“I’m a weirdo. Get me Starbucks,” I grumbled.

“On the plan,” he promised.

We went to Starbucks and then met up with people, and I realized they’d hit other food spots.

Including Simone.

I raised an eyebrow when she got in the SUV with me but cared more about the heavenly smelling food in the bags she had.

“Eat up and be happy,” she said, letting me know we had to be adults. She nodded when I groaned. “I’ve got a lot of it handled; I simply need your approval.”

Three huge breakfast sandwiches later and half of my coffee and I was ready, nodding for her to go ahead.

She handed me her tablet. “There are several of us who think you are a genius.”

“You don’t have to butter me up,” I chuckled.

“I’m not. You are a genius, and I don’t just mean your IQ. You have jumped around major problems that have plagued many of us in the supe community.”

I frowned at the tablet. “Another apartment building?”

“Yes, we’re almost out of room again.”

“I just bought that place and had it built,” I sighed.

“You keep saving more people, Sera,” she said gently, rubbing my arm when I sighed again. “I’m proud that my friend does and supes are thriving because of it. But after this madness with ICE, we realize having supe-only housing isn’t always the best plan.”

“But a supe owner makes it so no one can be kicked out. Plus, we have too many who are still in hiding.”

“Exactly. You have a lot of money. Like ridiculous amounts. I agree with you that we start using it to do things better. You will never lose money buying an apartment building. It’s a sound investment.”

“You don’t have to sell me,” I cut in after letting her go on a few more minutes. “If we need it, we do it. You already checked out this place?”

“Two. Both privately owned by someone who didn’t realize what they were getting into and wasn’t ready for it. They want to bail, so you’ll get a deal but not what you got for the first building.”

I snorted. Yeah, I was never getting that great of a deal on anything else in life ever again. That had been crazy.

“The plan is to—I worked with Brian’s brother, Jimmy. He is actually quite smart and dedicated. The boy just needed to feel valued, and I believe now he is.” She waited until I nodded. “When you did that side company for your housing projects for the two packs, you left a lot open in it. He did that for a reason. I say we use it.”

“Make it like some corporation bought the places. Okay, but what about the people living there?”

“Let them live there.” She shrugged. “We don’t need two huge buildings tomorrow. There are several empty units in each, and it’s mostly agreed upon that the management has gone down. We won’t have that problem. This is also good for jobs for supes too as they need maintenance and manager positions. Neither allows pets. That is the one caveat we need to have.”

“For the future?” I hedged, wondering what she was thinking about.

“Yes, because there is a building in Seattle I think you should buy as well. You have a solid alliance with that Alpha and we like him. I know panthers there too and—Seattle is good. They just need help.”

“It’s not allowed to open businesses in other territories,” I hedged.

“This isn’t a business in that way, and you would help them. The Alphas are on board but want a discussion. That’s fair, and we need to inspect the building as well.”

“It’s not a bad idea.”

“It’s a way for you to diversify.”

“I don’t disagree, but I don’t have the time or energy to put into this.”

“Which is why I want to partner with you on it. Not like the club where it was fifty-fifty. This won’t take nearly as much of my time. A small percentage of revenues when you’re putting up the money, but I will manage it all.”

“And the buildings I have now?” I checked.

“Yes, but I will do that just because you give my panthers better and safe housing,” she agreed.

“Sure.”

“Well, I just lost a hundred bucks,” Emilio grumbled. “I thought you’d at least ask the damn percentage. I knew you wouldn’t bother with the price of the buildings or details but damn, woman. At least ask how much Simone is going to take.”

I gestured between Simone and me. “We’re not greedy with each other and always fair. She’ll give herself something fair for the work put in plus a bit more because I’m not greedy with her either. She also set this all up and will jump through the hoops.” I shot her a worried glance. “Shit, I gotta talk to Dain first at least. I promised.”

She nodded. “And Carter since he’s head of security as well. I think Brian since you’re engaged.”

“I’m pissed at that asshole. He doesn’t get a vote,” I grumbled.

“Fine, I’ll fill him in and make him feel small.”

Perfect.

My only main concern was if the buildings had the extra soundproofing ours had. Supes heard too much to deal with normal apartment crap.

Simone promised she would check, but they were higher-end apartments, so it should be fine.

To which I snorted. I knew people had to pay too much for crap all of the time. “Luxury” didn’t mean shit in reality besides people thinking it was a level of standard and getting screwed by it.

And people thought I was naïve?

We talked a bit more, and Simone admitted that Melicent wanted me to buy another building as well. It wasn’t a bad idea to invest in more New York real estate, but I could feel my eyes glazing over as she talked more.

Something everyone in the vehicle noticed.

Still, I agreed because it was a smart idea to hide in plain sight. I’d bought the building because landlords were pulling things with supes.

If more supes were landlords, there would be less of that shit. It still worked if humans lived there as well. It might be more headaches and people starting problems, but no one needed to know the place was owned by supes. We could have humans as cover too.

They did enough shit to us after all.

We pulled up to the Autobahn Country Club, and I was very interested in what we were up to instead of complaining no one would tell me. I couldn’t hide my shock when we parked and I saw how many people I knew were there. I started pointing around to all of them and then at the place as if asking what was going on.

“Carter set something up,” Emilio explained. “He hopes we make it a regular thing, but for now, it’s some of the pack getting to blow off some steam.”

“Nice.” I was stoked. I loved driving like a demon.

Except I walked up on several frowning faces.

“I’m sorry,” Carter said to Eugene, Axel, and a few others. “I didn’t know there were height limits on the cars.”

Oh shit. I had trouble not laughing. “Are you guys too tall to drive the sports cars?”

“Apparently,” Axel grumbled. “We can only drive Brian’s car since he knew that and got an adjusted whatever.”

I hadn’t known that. It made sense, he was way taller than average at six-six.

“Hey, turns out we have a few not right off the line,” a human said as he came jogging over. “We need to switch out a few of the vehicles. The insurance only allows for twenty for this.”

“Yes, thank you very much,” Carter sighed. “I appreciate it.”

Eugene moved closer and patted Carter’s shoulder. “This is really cool. No one would be mad. We can just drive Brian’s car and give him shit.”

“Let’s switch a few cars out since we have a lot of tall people,” I suggested. “I don’t know how to pick which we switch though.”

“I don’t know much about cars,” Carter admitted, looking a bit sheepish. “I was probably not the one to set this all up.” He gave me a pouting look. “You had so much fun playing Mario Kart, and I heard you talking with Jason about some driving training that was awesome. I thought we could have a fun day.”

I moved in and gave him a soft kiss. “This is awesome. Don’t worry about a few hiccups. We have gearheads galore. Someone can pick.”

“I’d like to see them all,” Hagan said, heading over to the human. “Give us the tour. The kiddies have to go through class, right?”

“All of you do,” the human hedged.

“I spoke with the coordinator that some have extra certifications,” Carter hedged.

“How long is the class?” I cut in, nodding when the guy said thirty minutes. “We can sit through a thirty-minute safety class and get a refresher while we have second breakfast.”

“Good point,” several people said.

So we did.

Our people always arrived on time, so by eight the class was going and I made sure people were paying attention as we stuffed our faces.

“Can we ride with people our first time out?” Tommy asked when the class was wrapping up. “I don’t want to drive.”

“Anyone under eighteen is not driving,” I declared firmly. “And I want at least a year or two of driving experience. I don’t care about the money of a banged-up vehicle. I care about your lives. If we have fun, we can make this a regular event and even buy more cars of our own. It’s not all or nothing today.” I smiled at Tommy and crooked my finger at him.

He smiled and hurried over, pumped he got to go first with me. I kissed his hair and asked how he was doing as we walked out to the track.

Well. That was the main answer. He was doing better with his schooling and growing into the man he wanted to be. That was all that mattered and he was happy, not just smiles hiding his real feelings like when we’d met.

I let him pick the vehicle, laughing when he knew about as much about cars as I did. We went with a Lamborghini and grabbed the keys from the attendant. People were still choosing when I turned the baby on and pulled out towards the track. They warned us to always do a lap at normal speed with each car and then we could let loose.

And did I ever. Tommy let out a squeal when I punched it and we shot around the track.

Fuck, that was fun.

We did two laps fast and then I slowed us down and pulled into the pit where we were supposed to so people could take a turn. It worked well because the track was fairly big, so it wasn’t dangerous with ten vehicles or even if we did all twenty. As long as we spaced out and it wasn’t meant to be a race.

Except between Hagan and Reagan. Yes, the twins picked their cars and raced two laps, Hagan winning and rubbing it in Reagan’s face.

“You’re setting a bad example,” I said under my breath after a bit. He winced and I nodded. “I get you’re all keyed up, but you sound a bit like a bully.”

“Reagan doesn’t care,” he defended.

“We know that, but not everyone else does. Razz him in private later, please.” I accepted the kiss he gave me and then took another turn in a different vehicle, Ashley riding shotgun.

Then we switched. She didn’t go remotely as fast, but I worked her through how to handle the vehicle and gave her tips.

“You’re thinking we need to set up a real driving class like we got at Quantico, right?” Brian asked me a bit later when I stared at the pack.

“Yeah, I am,” I sighed. “The ICE thing has people spooked.”

“It fucking spooked me. I don’t blame them.”

“Agreed, but giving them more tools helps. That class got me through a lot of tough situations undercover and on the job. Supes have tough situations always.”

“I’ll get into it.” He nodded when I glanced at him. “I agree with you. We don’t even have the class at the supe FBI training facility and that needs to change. I threw down with Galvin about that as well. I think we do what you do best.”

“Jump over the bullshit and hire a real driving instructor for that and the pack?” I nodded when he did. “Talk to Dain and get it done. He can figure out how to handle it legally.”

“Yes, Alpha,” he answered, giving me a look like he wanted a cookie for being a good wolf.

No, I just didn’t want to kick him in the nuts at the moment for all the shit with Murray. That was as much as he got from me right then.

“Can I take you for a ride in the car you got me?” he hedged.

“Next time.” I turned to walk away and felt his upset. I wasn’t acting like this to hurt him or be a bitch. I was struggling, and I didn’t want to lash out at him.

I thought that was being about as fair as I could be in an adult way after I’d been honest about it all.

Phobie agreed with me.

Which probably made me childish that I’d immediately gone to my therapist to play ref but well, I wasn’t perfect.

There were several wolves who weren’t comfortable driving but wanted to go in the awesome vehicles, so I didn’t feel bad that I kept taking turns. Even Jessica rode with me since Freddie wasn’t there. He could be next time, but the whole pack couldn’t take off a Saturday.

I took Beth in the Dodge Charger Hellcat and sighed when we were done. I shrugged when she shot me a confused look. “I miss my Charger. I loved that car.” I smiled as I stared at the one in front of me even if it was vastly different. “It was my first real splurge on myself. It was the first time I felt cool.”

“Why are you so sad?” she whispered, moving around the front and rubbing my back.

“Being a wolf took that from me. I got a lot in return, but a lot was taken from me to be a wolf.” I shrugged. “It just hits me now and again.”

“You can get another one and let your security ride in SUVs, Sera,” she hedged.

“It’s fine. I’m getting spoiled being driven around.”

But still, I missed it. Not often, but sometimes. I preferred my life now. I did. Full stop.

Life was just simpler then and while lonely, I was alone and didn’t have as much on my shoulders.

I shook it off and picked a different car that I took someone else for a drive in. I realized all of the women were riding with me and asked about it.

“We feel less wilting flower girly that we can’t do this if we ride with you,” Gail admitted when we were done.

Oh hell no. Nope, not happening.

I didn’t let anyone else go out for a bit, and once all of the cars were in, I addressed the group. “You aren’t trained or idiots like the guys acting macho. There’s no shame in that. So we’re going to be better than. Get in the driver’s seat and we’ll go like normal. You’re all capable women, and we’re going to move past this hurdle together. I’ll take the lead car and just follow me.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Ashley called out, several agreeing after a bit.

Good.

The females of the pack took out the twenty cars together, along with someone in the passenger’s seat. We went the normal highway speed. No one needed to go two hundred miles per hour to appreciate an awesome car.

It was just what people expected on a racetrack.

Too bad. We did what we wanted and got people used to it. Most of the guys knew how to drive at higher speeds from being idiots doing stuff they shouldn’t. Being smarter than that wasn’t something to be looked down on.

It worked though because a few wanted to go again but at eighty or a few pushed to a hundred. It was even Simone’s first time driving that fast. She shrugged, saying she was raised that it was stupid as a female shifter to speed because that could get you locked up.

See? Smart.

I rode with her and gave her pointers.

Then I hopped in the driver’s seat and gave her a real thrill.

I went to the bathroom a bit later and found Carter looking over the cars on display. After I checked around a bit, I found a storage area that didn’t have a camera but did have a vehicle.

He did a double take when he saw me but frowned when I simply took his hand.

I led him into the storage area and closed the door behind us, pulling him close. “This was awesome. Seriously awesome.”

“I’m glad you like it,” he muttered, still confused.

“Wanna fuck me over this car as my way of saying I really liked it?”

Yes. His answer was absolutely yes. Shocked at first, but yes.

And yes, the sex was amazing. The hard part was being quiet.

“I was planning on doing that after dinner, but before works too,” he chuckled when we were done and cleaned up.

“Huh?”

“I blocked your calendar for all day and night,” he explained. “We have reservations for dinner. Just us.” He shrugged when I couldn’t hide my surprise. “While it’s been fun to watch you enjoy your dating and dates, I realized I wanted to take you on one as well. We can have dinner.”

“We can,” I immediately agreed. “But we’re just having fun.” I sighed when he gave me a look not to be silly. “That’s what you said you wanted.”

“I want us to not get serious. Dates come before serious.” He moved me up against the wall and ran his nose along my cheek. “I want you to get dolled up for me this time, darling. Is that so wrong? The world thinks I’m your mating candidate, so we’re covered.”

“What’s on the menu?” I snorted at the look he had in his eyes. “Besides me.”

“Excellent food from what I hear, but nothing as tasty as you.”

Nice… But confusing. I was pretty sure that Carter’s feelings were changing for me, but he was still going through something with his power and jealousy. It was hard to take it seriously then.

And I’d been left in the dust enough times already when people got a taste of freedom and latched onto me thinking it was love. I didn’t want that again, especially when the plan was to have him be the master of the ancient coven instead of Goran. That situation was tricky enough.

I didn’t need anything else tricky.

Several people were amused when we rejoined the group, clearly knowing what we’d been doing.

A few were not.

Mostly the ones who would have wanted me to have sex with them instead or I was avoiding for the moment like Brian and Dain. I caught Dain’s gaze and pain blossomed in my heart.

If he paid as much attention to me as he did Topher, we could have had sex instead. I felt like a bitch that I even thought it, shame filling me as I ignored everyone and went for the lunch being delivered.

Phobie sat with me and asked that we go for a ride after we ate. I felt better when Simone and a few others joined us so I didn’t have to deal with anyone trying to sneak a chance at my attention.

She basically said the same thing Reagan had and it was super normal to get jealous over a sibling. I’d never had one and simply didn’t know how to process it as most kids learned to.

Plus, I had trouble processing emotions. I didn’t shy away from that anymore. I hadn’t had a normal childhood or much of anything healthy growing up, so that was the result.

I had a second lunch and felt better about it until Dain sat down next to me.

“I wish you could fully understand the depth of my love for you,” he said quietly. “You wouldn’t hurt or doubt how much you mean to me if you did. I… I don’t know how to convey it to you better, Sera. I make the effort and I feel like you don’t see it.”

“I do,” I argued, feeling small again. “It’s just sometimes it comes off more as feeling like your responsibility because I’m your wife than—I saw it when you helped after what Brian did. You were worried for me. Sometimes the things you do seem like obligation.” I gave him an inch though. “I do like being doted on and see it.”

“I love you as much as I love Topher. He would not survive as you would and—”

“I know.” I let out a slow breath and met his pretty green eyes. “I know, Dain. I get it. You felt guilt and that hurt. I’m fine, really. Phobie said I’m processing and I just need a bit to settle with it. She’s right that Topher’s not really my son but my brother. I say my son, but we share a father, and I didn’t choose to have him. It’s different for me.”

“I know, and I think you’ve adapted amazingly well. Truly. You take it all in stride. I love that about you.” He reached over and rubbed my arm. “I try so hard not to be demanding with you. I try to move with you and help as I can. I feel like sometimes you don’t see my feelings because I don’t demand more from you though.”

“And you don’t want to because I’m always tired and struggling,” I accepted, nodding when he did. “Maybe you just need to demand fun.” I shrugged and gestured around to the fun we were all having. “Axel’s taken me to fun dates that young Sera would have loved—I loved now. Reagan wants more Sunday snuggle dates.”

“I get it,” he cut in when I went to say more. “But there are only so many hours in the day, my love. We can’t book you constantly.”

“No, and not every day needs to be something.” I focused on my food again. “You have been working with Noah’s chefs or the club’s chefs for our food, but you make a point to sit with Topher when he eats it. You don’t do that with me. It’s just on the list of responsibilities like a chore. Not something we share.”

He was quiet for several moments. “I can see the difference from your side. Please know it’s because I hate to pressure you.”

Again, that was fair, and I thanked him for that.

But I was glad when he gave me space and just let me have fun. I really wasn’t mad at Dain or like resented him. I understood. Completely and utterly understood.

It just hurt for the moment. Such was life.

Fuck a duck.

13

We had a blast at the racetrack, and I honestly wanted to do it every month to blow off some steam… Until I was clued in on how much it cost.

And that was just a best guess.

Wow, everything was a bit too expensive. Seriously. We probably got a discount for the large group and renting everything, but… Wow.

So yeah, it wouldn’t be a monthly thing.

Since I learned that Carter liked me fresh from the shower with the more natural look, I went with minimal makeup, and I diffused my hair with gel to give more of that wet bedhead look. I went with a black, plunging neck, split lantern sleeve ruched bodycon dress and strappy heels.

He was waiting for me leaning against the wall in the hallway outside my door wearing a three-piece slate gray suit without a tie… And looking sexy as fuck. He had a violet shirt on that matched his eyes and a handkerchief in his pocket of the same color. He glanced up and licked his lips, only having one word.

“Wow.”

“Ditto.” I smiled when he offered me his arm, accepting it and the kiss on the cheek he gave me. “So where are we going?”

“Maple & Ash. I was just reading some reviews that the steaks are good, but for the price, good isn’t enough so stick to the other options that shine more.”

“I could go for a nice salmon if that’s on their menu,” I admitted.

“They do, but I also thought the fire-roasted seafood tower.”

“Yes, please.” I didn’t need to be talked into that one.

We went downstairs and out the front where my security and the SUVs were waiting. Carter opened the door for me and got in after me. The drive wasn’t far, and apparently my security was going to hang outside the restaurant or at the bar.

Something they weren’t thrilled about.

“We don’t need them at a table listening in or piping up when they have thoughts,” Carter said.

“But I always have them get tables and eat too,” I argued.

“Yes, and they’re spoiled. You spoil us. They can hang at the damn bar.”

“Meanie,” Sander grumbled. “I like Axel better. He makes sure we have reservations.”

Goofs.

I smothered a laugh and followed after the host when he said our table was ready. We stopped at a four-person table with plush chairs, and I turned to Carter to ask if someone was joining us only to find him holding a chair for me. I glanced around and saw all the cute romantic two-person tables and raised an eyebrow.

He smiled. “I asked for a four-person table since we’ll have more plates, and I know that makes you feel uncomfortable.”

I couldn’t hide my shock. “I’m not sure I knew that made me uncomfortable.” But it did. I was always fidgeting with the plates and trying not to make it obvious. I thanked the host for the menu and sat, letting Carter slide me in. “These chairs are great.”

Carter accepted his menu and sat down, moving a bit in his chair and nodding. “Very comfortable. I’d love these for my table.” He cleared his throat. “When I finally get one.”

I opened my mouth but then closed it. I’d never been in his apartment. I actually didn’t even know where it was or what floor even. My face flushed and I felt like a jerk.

He caught on and simply smiled. “I invite myself over all the damn time before you could even think to say anything, Sera. You’re not the rude one. I am.”

“Sure, we can go with that,” I accepted, smiling when he snorted. I looked over the drinks and chuckled at what I saw. “This place is fun.”

“That’s what I heard, and we like fun.”

“We like fun,” I agreed. Our server came over and focused on Carter, making it clear he would get him whatever he wanted.

On or off the menu. Wow, subtle.

Carter simply took it in stride. “Your attention is wasted on me, and I don’t like you ignoring my date. It’s disrespectful, and I don’t let people disrespect her.”

“Oh, no, of course, I just—your eyes are so pretty,” he said and hurrying to look over at me. “I’m so sorry. I was about to ask you what you wanted to drink, hon.”

I ignored the lie. “I’ll take a Pornstar Martini, please.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll have a Pillow Talk,” Carter said, as amused with the drink names as I was. “I’d also like to start us with the highest tier fire-roasted seafood tower. We’ll order the rest for the next course, thanks.”

The server nodded and left. We talked a bit about the options for appetizers and what we wanted for our main dish. It was nice, calm and comfortable even if it was a first date.

And that was all Carter.

“Oh my god, can I have your autograph?” someone said loudly near us. I ignored it and didn’t even care who was sitting by us. There was always someone famous visiting a city like Chicago, and with all of our sports teams it made sense someone would come to an expensive restaurant.

“Sera, she’s talking to you,” Carter muttered.

“Huh?” I glanced at him and he nodded to my right. I did a double take and frowned at the woman. “I’m sorry, you have me confused with someone else.”

She shook her head. “No, you’re Sera Thomas, right?”

“Yes,” I hedged. “You were speaking to me?”

“Yes,” she giggled. “Can I have your autograph?”

“No.” I winced when Carter smothered a laugh. “I’m sorry, it’s actually against FBI protocol that we—why would you want my signature?”

She frowned. “You’re famous.”

“Most think infamous,” I grumbled. “But I’m not famous or—I’m with the FBI.”

She let out a huff and glanced around that we had attention. “You own that super cool club. You have a clothing line and—you’re famous.”

“Okay, well, my answer is no, sorry. We don’t—I don’t allow people to see how I sign my name so they can’t copy it. Only on official documents.”

“You don’t have to be weird about it,” she grumbled before storming off.

I glanced at Carter who was losing the battle with laughing. “How am I the weird one here? It’s weird to ask an FBI division chief for their autograph, right?”

“You’re a bit more than that and in the public spotlight all of the time,” he reminded me.

Right… But it was still weird.

He leaned in. “People ask the dancers at the club for their autographs and you do perform there as well.”

Fair enough, but it was never like I was listed on anything. I got that people wanted selfies with notable people… Well, I would have found that weird if she’d asked too. Maybe if we were at the club.

Yeah, it was weird.

The food was fan-fucking-tastic. Seriously, everything we perfect. We tried each other’s drinks and had a few more since we weren’t driving. We ordered several of the appetizers to share and they were amazing. Then we both ordered the salmon and several of the sides so we got to sample more.

The bill was probably way too much. I knew Carter tipped well, but the server was pouting as he left the table. I swallowed a snort when I caught an image of why.

“He’s sad you didn’t leave your number for him,” I explained.

“His was on the damn receipt,” Carter drawled.

Damn, that was funny.

I thanked him again as we headed to the door. I frowned though as he told Sander we were heading to the club.

He chuckled once we were in the SUV, giving me a soft kiss. “I can’t—you asked for this, Sera. You keep acting like I’m changing our relationship or doing something so bizarre, and here I thought you’d be mad that I didn’t do it sooner. You told me this is what you wanted, darling.”

I did? My confusion must have spoken volumes because he leaned in and ran his tongue around my ear.

“After Mario Kart. I followed you to your apartment and you punished me. You said there was something specific that you as Sera wanted, not your siren or wolf, but you.”

I gasped as I remembered. Oh shit, I had asked for this. I’d told him that I’d wanted to try flogging someone—him specifically—and after something like a romantic dinner before we enjoyed a hot tub together.

Idiot.

I felt my face heat until my ears felt hot.

Carter simply brushed his lips over mine. “I got what I thought would be fun to try together. I have a dungeon reserved for us and then a hot tub. I want my Mistress to experience this to the fullest.”

We arrived at the club and went downstairs. He had a small bag with him, and he handed it over to me after we went into our reserved dungeon. I glanced inside and saw there were three different types of floggers.

Wow, we were really doing this.

Cool.

Carter moved over to the side where there were several hooks to hang things up. He started undressing, carefully hanging everything up while watching me watch him.

“You’re really into this,” he commented, his tone neutral.

“I’m normally the one getting naked for everyone else, so it’s kind of fun to be standing here dressed and you getting naked for me,” I admitted. “Plus, people tend to forget when I say things.”

“I don’t.”

That was true and I said as much. From the moment I’d met Carter, he’d put me first and made it clear that he was.

“How do you want to do this?” he asked when he was fully naked.

I glanced at the chains hanging from the middle of the room. “Are you comfortable with that?”

“With you? Yes.”

I met his gaze. “Not with others?”

He snorted. “Hell no. You are about the only person I would let restrain me even if I could get out in a flash.”

I frowned. “We don’t have to do this.”

He moved closer and gave me a soft kiss. “I’m not against it. It’s not something I think I’d crave, but I’m excited it’s your first time. I want to be your first. I just wouldn’t want to do it with anyone but you.”

Okay then.

He lowered the chains and locked up his wrists before I raised them over his head.

And then he was all mine, watching and waiting for me to do whatever I wanted to him.

“Yeah, I might be into this,” I muttered. “I knew I was—I’ve tied down Noah and that was fun. We liked that.”

“He’s said that many times and he wants to do it again. He said you went seriously wild and not just when you sirened him.”

“No, that’s the reason we thought to do it again,” I admitted. I went over to the bag and picked out the flogger that looked middle of the road. It seemed like a Google Images kind of normal leather flogger. The other was more feathers kind of fluffy and the third had braids and knots that I was very sure would hurt more.

Moving over to Carter, I let him see which I’d picked and ran it over his chest. Then I gave a light smack to his outer thigh, careful not to hit his groin. I walked around behind him and gave a few slaps to his back while my other hand moved all over his body.

I kissed up along his neck and nibbled on both of his ears as I smacked each of his thighs before moving around to the front of him again. Using the flogger, I hit his side and his pecks before grabbing his very excited dick and stroking him. He was panting, eyes glazed over, and totally into what I was doing.

So I stopped.

I let him go and undid the chain so he could unlock himself. “I’m ready for the hot tub.”

“Wait—what?” he gasped.

“Do you want drinks for the soak or some food before?” I asked, ignoring his confusion. I put the flogger back in the bag and headed for the door. “I want some dessert.”

He moved in front of me before I could grab the handle and tried to get his mouth to work.

Perfect. I’d finally made the always put together and composed Carter a mess like he did me. My wolf and siren were practically giddy that he was so all over the place and wound up and we weren’t.

“I’m very confused,” he finally admitted.

“It was a punishment,” I reminded him. “I think you’ve been punished.”

He groaned, understanding that I meant by stopping.

I walked out of there feeling powerful and like I could take control. That was probably silly given how small of a thing it was, but I’d made Carter a pool of need instead of always the other way around. It was thrilling and honestly made me feel like I could do just about anything if I could do that.

Plus, I was riding the high of a nice date and everything else.

I grabbed a couple of drinks and went up to the hot tub we had reserved. I got undressed and slipped into it after messing with the settings panel.

He came flying through the door about five minutes later. “You really left me there. I thought you were teasing—I thought you were coming back.”

“Oh sorry.” Damn, it was really hard not to laugh. “I said let’s go soak.”

“Yeah, but you barely did anything.”

I glanced at his groin with a smirk. “Oh, I’m very sure I did lots.”

“Fuck, did you ever,” he muttered. He’d only thrown back on his shirt and pants, hurrying to take them off but then freezing by the edge of the tub. “We’re doing that again, right?”

“Do you want to?”

“Yes. Please, yes.”

“Sure.” I hid my smirk behind my drink. The man who said he wouldn’t ever want to do that, only did it because of me and what I’d said for punishment, was begging for more of it.

Yeah, I felt damn powerful and good about that.

I got about halfway through my drink before he couldn’t take it anymore and was all over me. He ate me for dessert more times than I could count, and I fed and fed some more from him. I thought we were having hot sex next but nope, he dried me off and redressed me. We stopped by the kitchen to pick up several boxes of dessert he had ordered for us.

Well, me. We both knew it was for me.

Then we went back to my place and ate desserts and had hot and hotter sex. It was amazing, and I remembered muttering he could take me out again anytime he wanted.

He was probably still laughing.

What wasn’t funny?

The next morning I woke to shit going down. Yeah, of course, shocking, right?

Someone leaked video of the president losing his mind about me of all people. It was him and his son talking about the Dorcus’s ignoring their reaching out to talk, snubbing him at every turn.

So yeah, of course, that’s the time to lose your mind.

“Enough. I don’t want to hear anymore. Those animals aren’t better than me, and I’m tired of them acting like they are. They can say they run Greece all they want, but I’m the most powerful man in the world now. And I have their daughter.”

“Then what do you want to do about it, Dad?” his son asked, rubbing his nose and plopping down in the chair, clearly not knowing they were being recorded.

“I want the bitch gone. Fired. Disgraced. Tossed out on her ass and finally shut up.” He smiled and let out a creepy chuckle. “Their real daughter runs the pack in New York. Deport her. Take the clubs. Shut it all down for drugs or whatever. I don’t care, and we can buy them later for nothing. We’ll force the supes to do the same for us once I have them all leashed starting with that bitch in Chicago.”

Wow. There was more, but honestly it was all unhinged and a bit terrifying.

And that wasn’t the only thing leaked. Someone—and I doubted it was Alena—let out the recordings the president’s sons had left for her about those meetings. The last one was way worse than Alena had hinted at. He flat out made it clear I could have an “accident” in such a dangerous job if the Dorcuses didn’t play nicely with their family.

But this had all gone down while I’d been asleep, so there was already a response from Alena. It was recorded and sent in, but damn it was good.

“I am not sure where the children of the President of the United States were trying to contact a Minister of Greece to play mobster games with, but our family was unaware messages were being left for us. We would never have let such messages go unanswered, no matter the minor sources. The Dorcus family does not let threats against ours go unanswered. Ever.

“Since the president is new to global politics and the very real consequences of his actions, I would advise he stop acting like this is his game show or his failed casino where only money could be lost. The stakes are much higher now.

“And while he and some of those who reside in the US see their president as the most powerful person in the world, the rest of the world does not. Power has many levels, and while one title might give political power or launch codes for weapons, it does not suddenly grant strength or allies needed for true power.

“If the president doubts that, he should stay tuned to the news. If he thinks to hurt any of our family or allies, he would be wise to rethink that decision. He will understand by the end of the week if he has any intelligence. If not, I’m sure someone in his inner circle could explain it slowly or in small words for him.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant until the next day… When supes took over Bolivia. Alena did what Alena did best and was the absolute boss. She pushed up the timetable by a few weeks and got things together.

Without my involvement like originally planned. There was nothing to trail back to me if anyone was to look at me. All of my people were in-state and not abroad.

Certainly not in South America.

Reports came in while I was at work, and the whole coup took less than three hours. I threw back my head and laughed when the new leader of Bolivia, a wolf shifter who had been the Alpha of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, was shaking hands with Alena and thanking her for her help freeing Bolivia and her people from a tyrant leader.

Damn. Just… Dayumn.

Needless to say, I had the press all over me.

“Look, I knew the situation for supes in South America was bad. We’ve had refugees coming in left and right,” I finally said to reporters when they were making a scene in the parking lot. “I’ve helped get supes out and given over non-FBI intel I’ve gotten from personal resources to get others to safety. I work for the US government, and I was not involved.

“No one from my pack was directly involved either. Do I have a feeling they were asked some hypothetical questions? Yes, I’m sure they were. That’s not my business because my pack are not my slaves unlike what some media would have you believe. We have US citizens go to other countries and fight in wars there or give aid all the damn time. So just stop with the crap.”

I gave them several moments with that, glad when the frothing seemed to chill a bit now that I’d said something.

“Yes, I’ve met Alpha Riky Condori in my capacity as Alpha of the Chicago wolves and several other packs. I think he’s an intelligent, caring, and hard-working man who sees us all as people and wants what’s best for all of us. I believe he will do great things for Bolivia and turn the country around just as President Nuri did for Iran.

“I do have an alliance with Alpha Riky, and like I would for any of my alliances, I’m offering my help. I’m not doing that as FBI or as an employee of the US government. I’m sending supplies and some personnel to help. I am not sending weapons. I’m not.” I stared down a few who had said that repeatedly. “I’m not a damn arms dealer, and I resent that being said about me.

“I worked in some of the most dangerous assignments in the history of the FBI to make sure arms didn’t cross borders and people followed the law, international laws as well. I have the highest closure rate of cases of anyone in the FBI.” I nodded when people couldn’t hide their shock. “I’m not a damn mob boss.

“Enough with the crap. This is a confusing and tumultuous time. There’s enough drama without you trying to make more up. I’m sending food and medical supplies because Bolivia is in crisis which is why the Alpha took over. I am a government agent, so I won’t comment on geopolitics no matter my personal beliefs, so don’t ask me about any of that. Thank you.”

Was it what they wanted? No, but I hadn’t wanted to have to talk about it either.

But it got the idiots to leave the FBI parking lot and stop blocking traffic at the apartment building. I took the win.

14

A week later, I was standing at another crime scene involving a parking garage, a body in a trunk, and too much fucking baking soda.

At least this time they didn’t take the body away before I got there. I’d made Perez order Murray to leave it until I could get there and check out what I needed to.

“Okay, we need to clear the scene,” I ordered people, looking around until I landed on the cops who someone said were first on scene. “You were first?” I waited until the guy nodded. “Close it back up the way you found it.”

“I’m sorry?” he hedged.

“I was called in to be a cadaver dog, Officer. I need to have the details in place as if untouched to know what I’m really looking at.”

He frowned. “You’re not a fucking cadaver dog, Chief Thomas. You’re a damn good person who saved Lieutenant Oswalt from being shot. I was there that day. I was also there when you cleared the scene and kept people safe from that shark shifter who—I know she killed people, but I felt bad for her.”

“Me too,” I said gently. “India. India Gupta.” I gave him a sad smile when he nodded. “Yeah, that one still haunts me too. Killing is never the answer, but if anyone would have helped her, she wouldn’t have done what she’d done.” I nodded to the SUV. “I’m going to try and see if we can save some others from this fate. If that means being treated like shit, it won’t be the first time.”

“It just sucks,” he grumbled as he walked over to the SUV, grabbed crime scene gloves, and moved a bunch of baking soda back over the bag. “It was open when we got here. The owner saw this and worried it was drugs, not touching anything and calling 911.”

“Even better,” I muttered, moving closer and closing the back since I was already wearing gloves. “Okay, I need people back. You can see from down the way, but I need less scents and smells to distract or get in the way.” I sighed when Murray started bitching. “This is what you demanded. Don’t tell me how to be a damn wolf on top of everything else.”

“I didn’t call you in to run the scene or my case but shift and smell out what I need you to,” he snapped.

“I’m going to, but I can’t talk when I’m a wolf, so I’m giving instructions now,” I drawled. “So clear the area, and then I’m going to go shift over there behind some cover.”

I wasn’t the only one who noted the smug satisfaction on Murray’s face and his gross leering over my body since he knew that meant getting naked. That officer actually muttered under his breath that Murray was disgusting. I kept Murray’s focus so he didn’t blast the poor guy.

Clearly, I agreed with the officer, but Murray could—and would—ruin that guy’s career even if the officer was right.

My security was recording it all anyways.

We got people back, and I ended up going across the way of the parking garage and ducking into the stairwell after Carter confirmed there were no cameras in there. Murray wasn’t happy, but even he knew demanding I strip in front of people would be over the line.

Even if he thought his magic charm still worked—and I wasn’t sure how he still thought it did—that was too much for him to explain away as nothing.

Sander ducked in with me, and I quickly tossed my clothes to him before someone started a rumor we were fucking at a crime scene or something else crazy. And I was glad when I saw his hand was over his camera since I hadn’t thought of that.

I shifted and he opened the door for me, my wolf walking right out and then stretching. She took her sweet time adjusting since she wasn’t going for a run.

“We don’t have all day for your damn antics, Sera,” Murray drawled.

“Then you change forms and gather the information,” Carter drawled. “You have no idea what it’s like for her, so don’t pretend like you do. I’m a supe and I don’t because I’m a vampire and she’s a damn Alpha wolf. She’s sentient, but her wolf isn’t FBI and is probably annoyed she’s not going for a run but helping someone disrespecting her like you are.”

I trotted over to Carter and rubbed my head against his hand so he scratched my ears. I stood on my back paws and licked his face because he got it.

“Help Sera out and I’ll get you some ribs. I’ll pick the meat off for you and we’ll get you fries too.”

I gave a happy yip and went towards the SUV. I mentally smiled when Carter started explaining to the others that it was different for me as an infected wolf, teaching and helping people understand just as I always did.

I stopped about ten feet away when I got a good, strong scent of baking soda over everything else. I gave a bark to let the others know to mentally mark that spot and then kept sniffing the air as I moved closer. It wasn’t until I was right up on the fucking SUV I could even tell there was a person inside.

Damn. That made things more complicated.

The SUV was in another end spot by itself near the trash disposal. It hadn’t been backed in this time, so that was curious, either the killer had thought of that later or since there was a cover over the SUV “trunk” area, they hadn’t thought it was needed to be backed in more.

I’d come from the left of the SUV and this time I came straight at it, same result. I had an idea and quickly darted upstairs, but no dice. Heat might travel up, but smells didn’t when there was solid concrete to go through.

Hey, just about anything was worth a shot when trying to solve a murder.

I went to the floor below as well to make sure and found the same.

I sniffed all over the vehicle, but I couldn’t catch anything over the damn baking soda sucking up all of the scents. Or when the wind blew, I smelled the trash chute.

So that was a bust. We couldn’t go all around Chicagoland sniffing for baking soda in the thousands of apartment buildings we had. That would not only be a ridiculous waste of time, it would take… I couldn’t even imagine how long it would take.

And we’d never be allowed to do it. I wasn’t risking some asshole taking the chance to hurt one of my wolves either.

“Sera, shift back and tell us what’s going on,” Murray demanded when I headed for the stairwell. “We don’t have time for your antics.”

“And I don’t want my wife beating my ass because you forced a woman to be naked in front of you and I didn’t say anything,” that officer snapped. “Let her put on her damn clothes or I’m calling the news and reporting I witnessed the new division chief of the FBI order one of his colleagues to talk to him naked.”

Murray held up his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t thinking about that. I thought she was chasing another nothing scent and we have the ME’s office waiting and more.”

Yeah, sure he did. He wanted to push me and see if he could try and humiliate me being naked at a crime scene so people talked about me more.

“Okay, I’m slipping that guy a gift card for the club,” Sander said as he went in with me since he had my clothes. “He’s really a good guy.”

I shifted back and hurried to dress. “Yeah, do it. And tell Simone I said give them a fancy date night package or whatever. I’ve been on so many damn crime scenes and—no one sticks up for me like that unless it’s Brian. He’s just patrol and would get eaten. Wow. Balls.” That made me realize something. “Get his supervisor’s name. I want to put in a call.”

“Of course, you do,” he chuckled.

I was still putting on my jacket when I walked out the door and headed for the SUV. I remembered a crime scene glove at the last minute and opened the SUV door again, nodding to the crime scene guys and ME’s office waiting. “Thanks. You guys can do your thing now.”

“Wait, I’ll decide that once you tell me what you smelled,” Murray interjected.

And they ignored him, listening to me instead. Yeah, he really should have gotten it through his head that his charm didn’t work anymore. He’d already tried to find that warlock again, but the number was disconnected, and Nina had stashed the guy somewhere safe.

And if Nina said it was safe, aliens weren’t getting the warlock, much less Andrew Murray.

I ignored Murray demanding answers and threatening to put me on a damn leash if I didn’t stop acting like I was the boss of his investigation and office. I ignored all of his rantings and went for the main office of the apartment building to find Corbin there, nodding to him.

And getting a tight grin in response… Along with an assistant property manager on the phone clearly ignoring Corbin.

I reached over and hung up the call she was on, slapping on my most professional fake smile. “There was a body found in your parking garage. I think that takes precedence over everything else, don’t you?”

“Yes, but we have a lot of people demanding answers about why the garage is closed,” she snapped. “And your agent here said I can’t tell them anything.”

“I said to tell them the police are here for a break-in,” Corbin corrected.

“Well, we don’t want the residents thinking that there are car thieves breaking into the garage,” she drawled.

Corbin and I shared a look before we looked back at her like “Are you fucking kidding?”

No, and she didn’t get it.

“I think you’d have a much bigger panic if you tell them there’s a murderer here,” I said slowly so maybe she got it.

“You don’t know that and—” she started to bitch, but I tuned her out, focused on something behind her.

I reached over and grabbed Corbin’s tablet, knowing he would have the case file open on it. Sure enough, he did once I flipped through tabs. I read over the notes faster than most could and stopped when I got to what I wanted.

Namely the management company, Deblon, was the same where the last body was found.

Corbin glanced over my shoulder and did a double take, catching what I did. I gave a slight shake of my head and he cleared his throat.

“Look, I get this is a hassle for you,” I told the still bitching assistant property manager. “You’re not the dead person in the parking garage so you’re not having the worst day of anyone here, right?”

I didn’t react when Corbin snorted, staring down the woman. I nodded when she huffed and handed Corbin back his tablet.

“So if you don’t want to tell people it was a break-in, fine, but you tell them nothing then. I doubt this is the only time you’ve told people you don’t know what’s going on. That’s also for the other employees.” I kept nodding when she frowned. “This is an ongoing investigation, and if you tell anything about this to anyone, I will have you arrested for obstruction.”

“You can’t really do that,” she argued. “I have to warn the others who work there that a murderer lives here.”

“No, you won’t,” I told her firmly, pulling my cuffs out of my pocket and crossing my arms over my chest with them visible. “There will be a constant police presence here while we investigate. That is about as safe as you get in Chicago. Now, do I have your full cooperation?”

She opened her mouth but then closed it, frowning again. “You’re a shifter.”

“I am,” I chuckled darkly.

Meaning the bitch couldn’t lie to me.

She gave one last huff and promised that she would keep her mouth shut. She was telling the truth, so I thanked her for her cooperation.

The look she gave me said fuck off, but she wasn’t stupid enough to say that to me. Maybe there was hope for her after all.

“Is it the same MO?” I asked Corbin after we walked out of the office.

“Yes,” he confirmed, reading over his notes. “The woman—a retired widow—normally winters in different spots until later April or May. She came back because her son’s wife went into labor early. She opened the back and thought it was drugs, validly freaked out, and called the police.”

“Got it.” I headed out with my security, ignoring Murray bitching at me to stop and talk to him—everything basically. I got a few looks from my security like they were waiting for me to engage with him so I could get more shit on him… But I knew how to push people’s buttons.

I’d come with that factory default setting according to my parents. I used this play time and time again. Ignoring those who thought they were amazing set them off faster than anything else.

Plus, if I handled his case better than he could, it would make him look like the fool instead of trying to embarrass me. Obviously, the goal was to solve the murders. Full stop. I wanted to catch the murderer and keep people safe.

But I also wanted Murray to self-implode in the process.

I could multitask like that.

Which was why I was outside of the judge’s office that I went to most often an hour later with a warrant. He looked like he was leaving for the day and did a double take when he saw me.

“Sorry to bother you, Your Honor,” I greeted.

“You are the least bother of any law enforcement I deal with, Chief Thomas,” he said as he pulled out a pen. “You’ve got your ducks in a row?”

“I could get what I wanted without the warrant, but I’m worried about people talking. This gags them so I don’t have my possible murderer rabbit,” I explained.

“Always smart.”

“It works better because you never give me a headache and trust me,” I praised.

He did a double take when he read it over. “This isn’t for your branch.”

“No, Deputy Director Perez asked me to assist on this one. FBI is involved because of where the first victim was found.”

“Do I want to know?” he chuckled darkly as he started signing at the tabs.

“Nope.” I shrugged when he shot me a curious glance. “You might not ever go on vacation again.”

“Yes, spare me then because I’m leaving in a few weeks with my kids.” He glanced over something. “You’re very specific on what you’re asking to be able to search. Why?”

“Because it’s all I need and if I asked for more, they would validly kick up a fit. I would if the situation was reversed and I owned the building.”

“Which you do,” he chuckled.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “That’s always a nightmare, and apparently I need to buy a few more.” I shrugged again. “If I told you how people seriously put the squeeze to supes you’d just hug each one you saw, Your Honor. It’s… Gross doesn’t cover it.”

“I believe you. I’m the son of Mexican immigrants, Chief Thomas. I know exactly how horrible people can be. I get it now.” He shot me a smile as he handed it over. “But never from you, your office, or the Chicago office here under Chief Havers. That always gave me hope the world can be better.”

“From your ears to whoever is listening.”

He cleared his throat and then rubbed his neck. “I’d like to ask you something I shouldn’t.”

“Sure.”

“You have a pack in New York, right?”

“I do. My adopted sister is running it. She just agreed to be Alpha another seven years.”

He blew out a harsh breath. “My daughter got into several colleges, but she wants to go to NYU. I know no one in NYC, and being a judge’s daughter is dangerous. I worry—what if something happens and she has no one to turn to?”

“I’m not against putting her under the pack’s protection as long as I meet her and know she doesn’t hate us.”

He did a double take. “I have no idea what pack protection is. I simply meant someone local to watch out for her, big sister her maybe in a strange city.”

“Pack protection means that if they mess with her, they mess with the whole pack. And Melicent has diplomatic immunity. That makes a very powerful ace to put down if there’s ever an issue.”

He blinked at me a moment and then shook his head. “You really are a good soul, Chief Thomas. I always saw that before you were a wolf. You struggle with so much but keep fighting and yet you’ll give something so powerful just to help a young woman you don’t even know. You give me faith the world can get better.”

“I need it to get better. It’s what I fight for.”

I gave him my card and told him to have his daughter call me to set something up. There were things she had to do to get pack protection, like not hate us and come to some of the functions, but that shouldn’t be a problem for someone so young. We had people in the pack in NYC her age, so they could be good friends to have too.

“I’m confused,” Emilio muttered once we were in the SUVs and heading to get what I needed. “Why the employee records? I would have thought a resident who had transferred between properties maybe. You were adamant that you get the employee records for the company for the past five years.”

I nodded. “Who has the key to your apartment?”

“Me, Carter, and Orson,” he hedged.

“And I do.” I chuckled when he did a double take. “We have access to all of the apartments. Christos has the keys. Whoever is at the front desk keeps the master keys and if there’s a problem, he goes in as maintenance to handle it. That’s why.”

“Okay, but that’s apartment access,” he hedged.

“Where is the spare key to your pretty car you just bought?” Carter muttered as he looked over something on his phone. “In your apartment, right? You have it in the side drawer in your kitchen? Most do for easy access or in case there’s an emergency. So Christos could find it there and use it if he wanted to.”

“Or to dump a body,” Emilio groaned. “Okay, that was what I was missing. Damn. Yuck.”

“Yup. Plus, the employees would know who was gone for a while because of package and mail holds. The maintenance maybe not, but I bet they would have access to that just as the front office would. So they’re all suspects as of right now.”

“That’s a lot of files you’re going to get,” he groaned.

“It normally is.”

Yeah, it normally was, and it was this time too. Fuck all the ducks.

15

It took us a bit to get all the employee records, and there were a lot of threats that went with it, including for the people to keep their mouths shut. After I talked to the company’s attorneys and made it clear that this was a legit warrant and more was coming so I could add the owners to be investigated or I could keep it at the employees, they suddenly caved.

Which meant I was absolutely going to do some digging into the owners of Deblon later. That raised every damn red flag to me that they only cared about protecting the owners from our prying eyes. We were looking for a murderer, so there was no reason to fight so hard or make such a stink to leave their clients alone.

Unless they were really, really up to something bad.

Something for another day.

I walked into my apartment with stacks of files since they didn’t have it all digital only to find people there.

“Welcome home, my love,” Dain greeted with a smile.

“What’s all of this?” I asked as I glanced around. Topher was sitting at the counter on Reagan’s lap, Hagan helping Dain, Jared, Tommy, and Ben in the kitchen.

“I thought we could have a nice family dinner,” Dain said, frowning when he saw I was overloaded. “I’m sorry, I should have checked. I did—your office said you didn’t have any open cases that were pressing.”

Ahhhh. “It’s complicated and not our office.” I nodded when the adults sighed, clearly knowing it was Murray. “I can have dinner. Sure.” I tried again when I felt their upset. “It smells great.”

Jared took the hint and acted as the adult. “We have steak, tofu, shrimp, and chicken options. We thought fajita bowls since making so many in tortillas to feed this group could take all night.”

“I love fajita bowls,” I quickly said when I felt his tension still. I smiled at Dain, fully understanding this was in response to what I’d said about him doing things for me that felt like obligation and not like he wanted to spend time with me. “This is great. I’m just also going to be looking over some stuff and putting things into place.”

“Of course. Whatever you need.”

“Axel or Eugene,” I admitted, nodding when he frowned. “I was thinking of making this a training exercise even if there’s bullshit because of Murray.”

“They’re more than welcome,” he accepted.

I wasn’t the only one who chuckled that he gave the invitation like that while in my apartment. Still, it was nice.

Eugene responded first and came up a few minutes later, taking in the dynamic and seeming a bit off-kilter. He wasn’t great about family after what he’d been through. I’d been the same, but the boys and the twins had helped with a lot of that. I didn’t flinch away from it anymore and appreciated the time we had.

I just didn’t crave the gatherings like people I knew who came from big families or tight-knit families. I was a work in progress like that.

Still, he was helpful and talked with the staff who was onsite at the training facility, letting them know what were up to.

Basically, there were two parts to the case to handle next. First, combing through the files and finding who fit best. Second, combing the locations they could have had access to and seeing if we had any more bodies that were waiting for an unsuspecting person to discover.

That was what I wanted the trainees for. We couldn’t teach them how to really hunt for dead bodies, and while we weren’t cadaver dogs, they should hone their senses just like with any other part of the job.

The problem was that there were over twenty properties.

However, while they all promoted their complexes as “luxury,” most didn’t even have a damn security guard or someone on call in the office. So basically, they didn’t know the actual definition of luxury was “something desirable but costly or hard to get or something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary.”

Because I was pretty sure basic maintenance and like four walls to the apartments were absolutely necessary. As I looked over what the places really had, I didn’t see anything luxury other than the damn price. Assholes. Everything was expensive enough in Chicago without adding to it by lying.

Yeah, I was definitely digging a bit and seeing what was really going on at that place that they wanted to hide… After I handled the murders of course.

Topher let out a squeal at one point, and I couldn’t hide my shock to see he wanted Eugene. The dire wolf was on the phone coordinating and didn’t seem to really pay attention to what was going on, picking up Topher and holding him in his arm while reading off addresses.

I wasn’t sure which of us was most surprised when he realized he had done that, all of us or Eugene.

He chuckled down at Topher. “I have a feeling you did that when I was distracted so I’d stop being scared of you, pup.”

“Probably,” I agreed, nodding at what I got from Topher. “The little bugger saw his opening. He doesn’t like that you and Axel are scared of him.” I waved off Eugene’s protests. “He doesn’t understand all babies scare us, just you, Axel, and some others are scared of him.”

I wasn’t scared of Topher anymore, simply that I’d mess him up or get him hurt. I was pretty sure every parent felt that though.

“Who are you leaning towards?” Hagan asked once everything was ready and we started loading up bowls at the counter.

I shot a glance at the boys, basically telling him to cool it.

“We wouldn’t ever say anything,” Ben whispered, his tone hurt.

“I know that.” I moved in front of him when he simply bobbed his head. “Hey, I know that.” I waited until he looked up at me. “I trust you with tons. This isn’t about trust. It’s about learning boundaries. This is a very nice family time, and work shouldn’t be here. Yes, I looked over stuff, but—my FBI stuff shouldn’t be your lives too. That’s where my head is.”

He let out a slow breath and nodded. “Okay. I just—it irks me when people change what they’re talking about around us or knowing they would talk about something else if we weren’t around.”

“I get that, but also I think it’s respectful.” I shrugged when he frowned. “I don’t want to talk about work when you’re here. I want to hear about you guys. I rarely get a chance to get caught up on your lives and this is a nice time Dain set up. I also think some wolves don’t want to talk about predator instincts with prey around.”

“It makes me feel like I’m overly aggressive,” Eugene admitted. “I know I am compared to most wolves, and when I talk about certain things around prey and they look at me like I’m nuts, it just hits me harder. So, it’s probably not they don’t talk about it around you because of you, but something that’s happened to them in the past.”

“That helps. Thanks.” Ben seemed at ease, so we left it at that.

And enjoyed dinner. It was seriously great. Dain was focused on helping Topher try new things. He loved the taco seasoning even if his was ridiculously light on it. Like seriously, there was probably one shake of nothing on all of his diced-up food.

But he loved it.

Yeah, we were related for sure.

“Holy shit,” I whispered as I watched something that I didn’t think was possible.

“What?” Dain asked.

“Topher just scooped up food,” I told him.

He smiled at me. “No, I was handing him the spoon full. We’re work—”

“Yeah, I know Dain,” I cut in. “I just watched him eat that and then scoop up more. I saw it.” I waved him off as Topher ate it. I sent him an image of what I saw and that I was proud. Topher squealed and did it again, glancing around like he realized he was awesome and wanted people to congratulate him.

“Wow, he has better table manners than you do now,” Reagan ribbed his twin.

“He’s seriously eight months old, right?” Hagan asked, ignoring Reagan. He leaned in and kissed Topher’s head. “That was amazing, buddy!” He jumped up and went over to the counter. “Where’s my phone? I gotta record this.”

We all pulled out our phones then and Topher got shy, turning to hide into Dain… And getting rice all over him.

“It’s fine, my son,” Dain said quietly, waving for everyone to put their phones away. “Show Mommy again. She wants your grandparents to see, okay? And Daddy Brian.”

I nodded when Topher looked at me. I sent him images and he didn’t really get it all, but he wanted the excitement and for us to be proud of him. I hit record and took video of him just scooping up the food on his plate. He wasn’t awesome at it, but way better than anyone could reasonably expect an eight-month-old to do.

“It says here that it’s normally eighteen months when a baby feeds itself without a huge mess,” Tommy muttered, blinking at his phone. “Wow, he’s really advanced.”

“He’s more aware because he sees things,” I said easily. “It’s going to be harder for him in a lot of other areas because he does though.” I cleared my throat when they all slowly looked at me, understanding I was speaking from experience.

Yeah, I was, but that was life.

I sent out the video and ten minutes later, Brian was at the door just from work excited to see for himself. Topher was thrilled that all of his dads were there, and his mind was spinning if he could eat more and more to keep them all with him and happy.

Oh boy.

I sent him images that it was our schedules and we would do it again so not to hurt his tummy. He understood most of it, but he was still kind of confused. I was a lot too, so I couldn’t only blame it on him being a baby. Life was just confusing.

When I was done eating, I moved off to the side with my files and started looking over it all. Eugene moved with me and started handing me specifics.

“You’re not going to even consider people in the front office?” I teased him.

“No,” he muttered. “I doubt I’m wrong, but most places I have lived at over my many years, they hide in their offices because the moment they leave, people hound them about everything. Maintenance is mostly ignored along with the cleaning people. They are seen more as ‘the help,’ and the residents feel awkward being friends with those who unclog their toilets.”

“I never thought about it like that. I just always nodded to anyone I knew worked that the building.”

“Because you’re nice, Sera. Most people aren’t that nice.” His lips twitched. “I thought you were going to lecture me about being sexist.”

“Nope. The data backs it up. We can be as monstrous and kill like crazy people if we wanted to just like men, we’re just generally not as murderous as you stupid men.”

“Women are the more advanced, smarter, and better sex all around.”

I blinked at him a minute before throwing back my head and laughing. “You’re really pushing hard to get laid now that I’ve had sex with Axel and that was our last hurdle, huh?”

“I truly believe in what I said, but that’s not mutually exclusive,” he admitted, but then frowned. He handed me a file. “This is my pick. It makes the most logical sense. You have to be tapped in to know who will be gone for a while, and a maintenance guy at one building wouldn’t know that. I doubt they’re all friends just because they work for the same company.”

“He’s a filler,” I surmised, taking the file from him, nodding when he did. “Yeah, I was thinking the same. This makes the third the company has. All men and travel between properties to cover vacations or regular maintenance stuff like checking smoke detectors and changing filters. That would have you tapped in for the week or whatever you were there, but not—”

“Buddies with the others who work there, so they would not hang out and around them. They would go the most unnoticed by residents and anyone nosy as well,” Eugene finished for me.

“Exactly.”

“Okay, so let’s start with them and go from there.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m heading out in thirty minutes to start coordinating with the trainees. How do you want to play that?”

“Stick with me,” I said after a moment. “I want you to walk each group through what I’m going to do and answer their questions later, so you need to see it. The others can help them with the ME’s office and handling the scene. But first I want these guys pulled in for questioning if we find more bodies.”

“Because that gives you the probable cause to really point the finger. Two bodies could be a coincidence or someone moving—not enough without a real warrant or something that could mess it up later?” he asked, checking so he could explain it to the trainees, not because he didn’t know or was questioning me.

I nodded, walking him through the process just to be thorough and we were on the same page. I assumed Quantico taught them correctly, but I wasn’t there, and I hadn’t had time to sit around and check with everything they’d done.

Funny how I was too busy for that, right?

There were ten fill-in maintenance guys who had worked for Deblon the past five years, four still worked there. Those were the ones I was most focused on but honestly, the guy who had recently quit in the fall was looking really promising to me. My gut said not to rule him out.

Most might not have known he’d quit, and it would be easy to slip in. I would think that his credentials and everything had been revoked, but I didn’t know how tight of scrutiny the place really had.

If it was him, and they’d let a former employee dump bodies in the trunks of residents, Deblon was in a world of hurt.

There was one property that I wanted to start with. It was a larger one with a lot of elderly community that flew the coop in winter. It was kind of known for that even, and there were several notes in the file that there were extra mail collection services to be put in their units if they wanted.

Plus, the layout of the parking garage had more solo spots with concrete on either side so no one could see anything pulling in or out next to them. And there were garbage chutes in all four corners of the garage since it was bigger.

Yeah, I was pretty sure if we were going to find more dead bodies, it was going to be there.

I said goodbye to everyone and then realized Brian was coming with. I blinked at him a moment and then felt like an asshole.

He must have sensed my confusion, so he didn’t get upset, simply giving me his Brian smile. “It’s an adjustment. I’m not going as section chief, just the head of the training center. It’s your show and you’re the boss.”

I nodded. “Murray might show up. Don’t get involved. I’m pushing him to blow.”

“You didn’t inform him of this?” The Boy Scout gave me a worried look when I nodded but didn’t say anything.

Good, I didn’t feel like smacking him right then. I knew it wasn’t procedure. I knew it was rude and not professional.

And? When had Murray been with me? I wasn’t letting him take the credit for any of this.

On the way to the first property, the info on the second body came in. Cara Hobbs was a fifty-eight-year-old female with quite a lot of information for me to have fast… Which generally meant none of it was good.

She had three kids with large age gaps and no father listed on any of the birth certificates. There was a note from CPD that the kids refused to be contacted anymore regarding their mother because they didn’t speak to her or want to be involved.

She was a convicted con artist with a gambling addiction according to a few former employers. One had to file a restraining order after terminating the employment because Hobbs slept with the boss’s husband at the office and broke up the marriage by announcing to the company that she was pregnant.

Which turned out to be a lie.

Yikes.

She had court-ordered rehab which she failed to complete and had forty-five days in county jail because of that. Cook County Animal Control filed notices that they had to take possession of two dogs due to abuse and neglect. And there was a CPD report that she had poisoned a neighbor’s cat, but charges were never filed due to lack of proof.

I looked over the droves of people who hated Cara Hobbs according to social media, and the list of who could have wanted her dead would have taken us a year to write. Basically, a real gem that the world was better off not having around, but murder was never acceptable, and I would still punish the bastard who did it.

I simply wouldn’t have nightmares over this victim for once.

We pulled up and the office was closed. Carter jumped out and raced around the property, coming back in a flash and letting us know there wasn’t even a security guard.

Luxury my ass.

We drove over to the parking garage and found the trainees waiting… And the side door of the garage ajar. It was supposed to be opened with a fob, but it wasn’t tightened correctly to close all the way.

“Well, this should be in the damn brochure,” I drawled and push the door open.

“How can you just—” one of the trainees started to ask.

Axel growled. “You don’t address a division chief directly, Trainee. You’re observing. So shut up and listen and we’ll take questions later. Don’t be stupid, stupid.”

Amen.

“Prop it open,” I told Horton since he was taking charge of this scene when I was done. “Any residents come in, tell them we’re serving a warrant and wait in their units. Don’t let anyone in the garage.”

“Got it, Chief.”

Sander blew past me and then was back faster than I even expected. “Yeah, there’s an SUV with massive baking soda-like I smelled at the last place.”

I nodded. “Horton, call in CPD and make sure none of this goes over the radio. They’re going to need that license plate and tell them we might have more tonight at different locations. Make sure you’re talking to a supervising officer at dispatch.”

“Yes, Chief.”

This was one of the fifteen locations actually in Chicago, the rest were in the suburbs, and we would have to deal with other police departments. That would be a headache all in itself, especially depending on what we found and where, but that was normally any case in my line of work.

Which was stupid since we were supposed to be on the same side… But expecting people to behave logically was asking too much.

Axel picked a few of the trainees that were shifters and brought them with us when we ducked off to the side to undress and change forms. Of course, I took lead, but they would get to see first-hand what I was sensing.

Or maybe not since I was Alpha and much stronger, but they could at least see how much further I could later. Just to be a good boss, I went in closer to each vehicle than I needed and led by example that it was important to be thorough.

Always.

The ancients found the bodies though. Yes, bodies, plural. Three different vehicles, one with two bodies, so four victims total.

The next location didn’t have any though. That was interesting and made me wonder if one of our possible suspects hadn’t ever worked at that location to cover for anyone. I was still trying to figure that out with the fucking paper files and printouts when we pulled up to the next place.

The ancients didn’t find anything, and I wasn’t going to waste time, but I still let Eugene work with the trainees since we had the warrant. Plus, it was never a waste of time to double-check. Shifters had stronger noses than vampires no matter their age. So I trusted the ancients, but when it came to the lives of people, no one should be too prideful to be double-checked.

My phone rang when we pulled up at the sixth place and were up to ten bodies for the night. “Thomas.”

“We got him,” Harris informed me.

“How? Where?” I nodded when he told me the address, telling Carter to explain it to those at this location and get us there. “How?”

“He was prepping a body,” Harris grumbled. “We pulled up and smelled the blood, and I followed it to the maintenance work office at the bottom of the garage. I had the warrant and probable cause, so I busted in and got him.”

“Nicely done. Check he’s not working with someone. I’ll be right there. It has to be me since I’m the only one allowed to be involved on this one.”

“I already asked. He’s working alone.”

“There was no connection between the two victims identified. I wonder what it is.” There wasn’t much of a point in dwelling on it when I’d be able to ask soon, but it did bug me.

A lot of things bugged me on my job. I wasn’t just writing parking tickets after all, and most of my cases were hauntingly creepy.

I’d definitely never be able to look at a parking garage the same after this one.

Fuck a duck.

16

Harris shot me a worried look as I approached and I knew what that meant, draping my influence over the man standing next to him before he could open his mouth… And demand a lawyer.

“What’s your name?” I asked him.

“Alec Gathoni,” he blurted, his eyes going bug wide.

Oh good, he was very, very easily influenced. That meant an easy night for me for once.

“How many you kill?”

“Thirty-three. This was the last one to reach enlightenment.”

I couldn’t hide my shock. “Well, you’re laying the groundwork for that insanity plea right from the start.” I ignored when a few people snorted. “What do you mean by ‘enlightenment?’”

He gave me a look like I was the crazy one. “It’s an angel number. Thirty-three means anything is possible and opens you to new self-development and creative thinking.”

“Yeah, I doubt by killing,” I drawled. “I think that’s more when you reach thirty-three, you’re not such an idiot.” I shook my head when he started lecturing me about how important angel numbers were. “Nope, I’ve had enough Bible bullshit to last me a lifetime. I’m not getting it from someone else using it to justify murder. You’re under arrest.”

I read him his rights and took him into custody from Harris, trusting the cheetah to handle the scene.

“You want to ask him what locations the bodies are at while you’re doing your thing?” Harris asked at a level the human couldn’t hear.

I shook my head and answered at the same volume. “That would raise questions later about how we could be so sure he was telling the truth. We always take any supe advantage as a leg-up, not concrete, and double-check everything. That keeps us from ethics hearings later or worse.”

He nodded looking a bit sheepish for having suggested it or not thinking of that himself. I gave him a pass. We were all stretched too thin and working crazy hard most days.

I didn’t blame anyone for wanting to cut through some of the crap, not ever. But I was the boss, and my job was to cover our asses and keep us safe… And that meant keeping the cover of my allure and being able to influence people as a siren.

“You won the bet,” I told Sander as I brought Alec over to our vehicles. “What made you choose him?”

“His photo,” Sander admitted, shrugging when we all focused on him then. “Something in his expression made me not want to be in a room with him. I agreed with the theory, and it could have been any of them but yeah, something in his eyes rubbed me wrong.”

“You’re scanning the photos of anyone trying to join the pack or come here as a refugee if you could nail someone from a picture like that,” I praised.

Well, I meant it as praise even if I dropped something else on his shoulders. He didn’t seem to mind and accepted I meant it as a compliment.

Plus, it wasn’t like any of us were mad we were wrong. We picked our choices to keep things interesting and add some levity to something too serious, not because we were gamblers or focused on the bet.

Hell, I was glad I was wrong. It would have been seriously messed up if Deblon hadn’t pulled the ex-employee’s security and credentials so he still had access. Alec was still employed with them and had been for seven years.

Terrifying. Seriously, that was terrifying, and I was pretty sure he was going to give me a lot of new nightmares as I interrogated him.

“We can’t gag him, right?” Emilio checked about ten minutes into the drive to the office.

“Nope,” I chuckled, ignoring Alec and his insanity. “Just tune it out and think of something boring in your head.”

“I thought it’s all admissible,” Carter hedged. “I’ve been taking notes.”

“Of course, you have.” I shook my head. “Technically it is, but juries believe very little of what’s said in our custody not on video or recorded. I can’t even blame them with all the damage dirty cops have done, but that’s the truth. Notes would be great to guide the conversation later but yeah, we’re going to have to hear this all again with our setup.”

“Awesome,” Emilio sighed. “There’s been so much killing for religion that I really wish people would get a new damn shtick. Seriously. It’s such a stupid reason when so much has changed over the years. All of the religions are nothing like they were thousands of years ago. Killing for a belief that doesn’t even stay constant is just…”

“Yeah, I know,” I muttered, reaching forward and rubbing his shoulder. “I know.”

He patted my hand and let it go. What else was there really to say?

We arrived a bit later, and I was glad that Murray wasn’t waiting for me and no one had slipped him a tip yet. If my luck could hold out, it would be great, but it rarely did.

But that was also why we planned to do this at night. Not just so the residents of the locations didn’t become a problem, but there were less people on shifts all around to start trouble.

Mostly.

I got Alec into the interrogation room and made sure everything was set up before I draped my influence over him again. I glanced over to Sander and was about to ask for food, but he was on the same wavelength.

“Tacos?”

“Shit, yeah, tacos sound amazing,” I agreed. “Wherever does guacamole without tons of cilantro.”

“Weirdo,” he chuckled as I tossed him my wallet.

Yeah, well, I thought people who liked tons of cilantro were a bit weird too, so to each their own, and luckily we could all get what we wanted… Well, except Alec. He wasn’t going to get anything good for a long, long time.

I sat and had my pen and notepad ready. “Thirty-three people is a lot to kill, especially in one winter. Tell me how it started.”

“A few years ago,” he admitted, smirking when I couldn’t hide my shock. “I did my homework. I’m not some psycho who just randomly picked people. This isn’t about something as undeveloped as my mom didn’t love me so I killed women who looked like her.”

I nodded, sitting back and studying him. “We found no connection between the first two discovered victims.”

“You discovered any?” he bit out. “Why the fuck didn’t the company tell us?”

It was my turn to smirk at him. “Because I’m smart and know how to do my job. The more people that know there’s a problem or something’s up, the more likely the bad guy bounces. I didn’t want to give you that chance.”

He shrugged like it didn’t matter, but I saw the rage in his eyes. “I still finished. I’ll be rewarded for it.”

“Yeah, in hell, but I don’t think that was what you wanted given the angel number crazy,” I drawled, waving him off when he jumped on me. “So this started years ago. How? How did you find the people? What is the connection?”

“Mostly Twitter.”

I waited a full minute for more or him to say he was joking, but he couldn’t under my influence. The response was so off from the possible answers I could have thought would come out of his mouth, my brain just couldn’t process it for several moments. “I’m sorry?”

He shrugged. “You wouldn’t believe the assholes you can find on Twitter.”

“No, I absolutely can believe that, but they don’t make me murderous,” I mumbled.

He scoffed at me. “Don’t make me sound like some idiot with anger issues or rage problems. I wanted to aid angels in their judgment. It wasn’t just one comment and they went on the list. It started with something disgusting on Twitter. Gaslighting or clearly feeding off hurting others. You know the type of assholes.”

“Yeah, they set up the conversation so it’s a powder keg and then light the match. I see it all the time as a supe,” I accepted, shrugging. So what? I didn’t like it and that was life. I couldn’t control people.

“Right. Plus, the wording they use matters too. How righteous are they being? They have no reason to be so righteous.”

The fact he didn’t see any irony saying that would have been amusing if thirty-three fucking people weren’t dead.

I listened for the next thirty minutes as he outlined how he would find a random post about someone struggling with mental health and wait for an asshole to comment “man up” or something completely useless. Or fat shaming a person who had a history of eating disorders. Clearly, people who enjoyed being horrid.

I got it. I fully did.

Except I wanted to reach into my computer and bitch slap some damn sense into those people, not fucking kill them.

He gave me enough of his reasoning, so I needed to move things along because eventually this was going to reach Murray’s ears.

“Who was first? How long ago?” I couldn’t hide my horror when he told me mid-November… And was pissed about that because the unseasonably warm October and November had pushed back his plans. I had to wave off the food when it arrived—at least for the moment—because he was detailing how he’d had to change his plans.

He ranted about having to buy two chest freezers people had in their garages or basements mostly to make his plan work. I had a flash of New York and the mob stashing bodies in freezers in the storage facility.

Until what he was saying truly hit me.

“Are you saying two people have these freezers still in their damn units?” I blurted.

“Yeah, you interrupted me,” he drawled. “I was finishing this week before the last idiot who leaves for winter was to return and then I was heading out of the country.”

I got the information and checked at least there weren’t bodies currently in those freezers but then got him back on track.

Basically, because the weather had been too warm because of climate change, he’d been forced to drain the bodies of blood, wrap them in baking soda and thick plastic, and freeze them solid. I had a feeling that would do something to his decomposing process since freezing anything included water particles, but I honestly didn’t want to get into those specifics.

But he didn’t have to do it for every body, and that was why some of them were more “folded up” than others.

Gross, but also not the worst I’d dealt with.

The rest we already knew. He knew the buildings and who was gone for winter, had access to the units as maintenance, and most people kept their spare vehicle key in their drawer in case of an emergency. Especially when leaving for an extended time.

Fuck, most of them told the office the location just in case they needed it in case of an emergency. He laughed at that, and I could see how that was amusing to a monster like him.

It made me think to change where we all kept our keys but yeah, amusing for him.

“I made sure to get a full picture of each of them for at least a year,” he explained when I went back to the specific victims. “I met them in person. I either went to their work or acted like I had something in common with them to make sure they weren’t just being a troll online.

“They were all horrible people in their lives. One still hasn’t been reported missing even though it’s been months.” He smirked at me. “You know why? He beat his wife. I made her life better by killing that asshole. She will thank me. I had all of the evidence and did the right thing by killing him.”

I snorted, meeting his gaze when he frowned. “You investigated him for over a year, right?”

“He was almost two years,” he hedged.

“The wife he was beating would have preferred you took that evidence to the fucking police and gotten that asshole locked up. There is a lot of he-said-she-said in domestic abuse. You were a witness with proof and didn’t report it. So she was beaten an extra two years and trapped in hell because you kept quiet to do what you wanted. I wouldn’t be thanking you.”

He jumped to his feet and had my death in his eyes, but Carter was ready, simply pushing Alec right back in his chair.

“Sure, you don’t have anger issues,” Carter drawled. “One poke at your righteous mission and you’re stupid enough to try and throw all self-preservation out the window by going after an Alpha werewolf. Angel aid my…”

It was really hard not to laugh. I winked at him instead to make it clear I was on the same page as him.

Really, I was.

I spent hours getting every detail on the record that would be needed. The name of each victim, when exactly he took note of them online, when he met them in person, how long he basically stalked them… Something he didn’t like me framing as a crime. To him, he was basically investigating like I would.

Yeah, sure, we were on the same side.

Then it was what their crimes were to him and what was the proof he had?

Where did he have it?

Was there anything that was the deciding factor for him?

Where did he kill or take them from?

Which location did he prep the body at?

Which location did he dump the body at?

What was the unit of the vehicle he used? The vehicle?

Hell, I got the parking space number if he knew them.

And he normally did. He might be a monster, but he was a very detail-oriented and meticulous monster.

Terrifying.

No, really, the smart bad guys were always twenty times more terrifying to me. I constantly told people that most criminals weren’t remotely as smart as books, TV, or movies made them. But when I came across that rare one that was as intelligent and good at being a monster as Alec Gathoni, it was fucking terrifying.

He’d killed thirty-three people and almost gotten away with it. If there hadn’t been two changes in schedule that messed up his plans he would have. Two weeks. That was basically the difference.

Even if the judge had been a week later, he could have disposed of this last body and been on his way. We might not have been able to get things together so fast if we hadn’t had so much time on the first body found.

Yeah, that was terrifying.

I took a break and stepped out to call Tamika, one of the sirens visiting from Greece. I felt bad for waking her when she’d done the siren show that night at the club, but I needed a few things answered before I could go all-in on the trap I was laying out.

She listened to me and agreed it was smart, promising she would make it work… And she knew nothing, had no part in it, and had never heard of anything ever.

Even better.

We wrapped up with Alec about two hours before most of the agents would start getting into the office at the regular FBI. That gave us just enough time to get him there and hand him over before striking the match on the powder keg.

I wrote the email on the drive, even making Alec ride in a different vehicle so he didn’t distract me.

Deputy Director Perez
cc: Director Galvin; Deputy Director Monroe; Section Chief Havers; Instructor Dain Morton; Division Chief Murray

Deputy Director Perez,

The murder suspect on the case you asked me to handle for Division Chief Murray has been apprehended and interrogated. Attached are the hours of interrogation and the needed files for the AG to put together the case.

While I understand the gravity of this case (especially given there were thirty-three victims in total), the agents of the Chicago office under your division were more than capable of handling this case.

I understand and share your concerns about Division Chief Murray’s position and leadership, but the vast majority of his people were trained under Chief Havers and are of the highest caliber. Unfortunately, Murray would not allow our collaboration since he is under the false impression that I somehow fall under his hierarchy.

I would ask you please explain to him how the separate divisions work and my being the senior division chief still stands even if my office is smaller. When I tried to outline that to him again, he physically struck me in full view of people outside of the FBI. I report this not because it injured me in any way, nor hurt, but the perception it gave others unnerved them.

Years were put into building the very strong relationship between the FBI and Chicago Police Department and surrounding police departments. I would hate Chief Murray’s mismanagement and being overwhelmed with running an office to burn those relationships.

Also, going forward, I request all interactions between Division Chief Murray and myself be overseen by my attorney, Dain Morton, or an IA liaison given his continued and constant sexual harassment. His fixation with me has been noted by both of our offices and the continued disregard of it has upset several females of those offices.

While your division isn’t my responsibility, as a woman in a leadership position, I refuse to continue allowing this behavior and the perception it’s acceptable. There are multiple instances Division Chief Murray has made inappropriate sexual comments to me in front of witnesses, and more than one person has said they worry what he does in private.

I also worry for the same and for the women of his office. As the FBI gossips, it’s also reached the ears of the new class of trainees in our division and will hurt the credibility of the program going forward if this behavior continues. If you would like specific instances or a list of witnesses, I will give them to you at any time.

If you or anyone from your division has any questions on the case Division Chief Murray was incapable of grasping, I’m available as always. I was under the impression he had a background in murder investigations that was superior to mine given his comments in the past and what the former Director Ferguson had told us.

I understand now that it was an intentional miscommunication on their part to inflate Division Chief Murray’s resume to make his seem superior to mine. I’m more than willing to take over any other murder investigations Division Chief Murray lacks the qualifications to handle, but if working together is needed, I suggest Section Chief Havers be the one.

Lastly, I know our division does not have an IA as one isn’t needed with our supe hierarchy, but this case was for your division and as such, I need to know which IA I am to report the sexual harassment by Division Chief Murray to. The request came from your office in DC, so I assume that one?

I am referring specifically to his repeated demands I undress in front of him. He made it clear I was coming in as a sentient cadaver dog, but in front of his agents, CPD, and my division, he demanded I be naked around him. While I’m fine with nudity as a shifter, that is a level of inappropriate I cannot allow to go unreported.

Please advise on the topics I’ve brought to you at your earliest convenience,

Division Chief Seraphine Thomas

“You didn’t just set the powder keg up and toss a match at it but put a timer on a godsdamn nuke with that, Sera,” Carter muttered as he read over my shoulder.

“Damn fucking right I did,” I chuckled darkly. “They gave me the green light to finally end this shit. I’m fucking running with it.”

He was quiet for several moments before snorting. “You’re not aiming to get him fired.”

I gave him the look he deserved.

Fuck no.

I wanted Andrew Fucking Murray behind bars, and I always had.

17

As much as I wanted to go to bed when I arrived home, I knew full well the trap I’d laid was going to be sprung soon and I needed to be alert for it. I thanked Christos when I walked into the lobby to speak with him and found a lot of Starbucks waiting. He simply nodded and asked me what I wanted him to do.

He was normally the day shift, but I’d had him come in a bit earlier because Murray had interacted with him before, and I wanted to use that this time.

“Push his buttons like you did before but don’t go over the line,” I told him honestly. “You played it perfectly before, and that’s what I want this time. He’s going to come here demanding everything, so shut him down. He has no grounds or authority here. Over you, over me—any of it. Don’t start it but shut him down.”

“I understand, Alpha.”

I told him my actual goal, nodding when everyone there couldn’t hide their shock. They were hesitant but trusted me, promising they would back me up and were ready.

So after warning Topher’s nanny and security to stay in his apartment with him just in case and let no one in besides me, we went up to the party room to watch the security cameras feed and enjoy our coffee. I didn’t even get to take a sip before my phone started blowing up from Murray. The texts were so over the top that in any normal situation, the man should have been fired.

Full stop. Out on his ass. The fact he hadn’t been yet annoyed me, and as much as I respected Monroe and Galvin, I was done leaving too much in their hands.

Could anyone seriously blame me anymore?

That lasted less than ten minutes before he pulled up in front of the building and parked illegally. He put his flashers on and got out, the ancients around me snorting.

I opened my mouth and closed it, shaking my head. “I can’t believe I was about to defend that asshole.” I shrugged when Carter raised an eyebrow. “You get used to doing that for cases. We’re working so people don’t die. No, we don’t park or follow the rules a lot and yes, it’s shitty and entitled, but people die if I’m delayed.

“It carries over into our lives. I’ve done it dozens of times on my personal time without even realizing it, so much on my mind and I live my work. I did it a few times undercover like a dumbass, but people assumed it was because I thought I was pretty enough to get away with it or the money of the cover. I just didn’t—you get into habits. No one in law enforcement is perfect.”

“Which unit is Sera’s? I need to speak with her,” Murray demanded of Christos.

“Your needs are not our concern, Chief Murray, but our Alpha is resting and not to be disturbed,” Christos answered, not even looking up. “I can take a message that you’ve undoubtedly left on her voicemail if you’d like?”

“Who the fuck—”

Christo lifted his head and smirked at Murray. “I’m her Beta and in charge of this building. Our Alpha doesn’t answer to you and neither do I. You’re not even in her division, and she always leaves her phone covered for emergencies. If she’s ignoring you, you are not an emergency. There is the door because I’m not letting you past this desk. Ever. Have a nice day.”

“It is an emergency, you damn dog,” he snapped. “Get her fucking ass down here or I swear I’ll—”

“What?” Christo chuckled, sitting back in his chair and moving his hands behind his head. “This is a private residence full of supes that you have no jurisdiction over. What could you even possibly do?”

Murray snorted. “Not all of you are supes.” He gave a moment for Christos to process he was more in the know than he thought the wolf understood. “Sera’s new ‘son’ is human, right? So you fucking take me up to see her, or I’m going to do what others want with my authority and take the damn kid out of here.”

Christos stood and bared his teeth at Murray. “You aren’t even DCFS or CPD. Don’t bullshit me. You can’t just demand to see a kid without a warrant or anything and walk out of here with the kid.”

Murray chuckled, getting this was the hot button to use.

And also the grave I would bury him in.

“Sera’s mom and dad rabbited after they ditched her. Thomas is a common name and they got lost, but she brought an admitted relative of hers here where people know he is. People want that kid. You know why?”

“I don’t care why,” Christos lied.

“To experiment on him.” Murray smirked when Christos growled. “I can absolutely find the cause to take the kid out of here. I don’t need a warrant if I have probable cause. I’ll take the fucking kid and hand him over to those who want him and let them use him as the way to control Sera. So be smart and take me to her instead of being the reason the kid has that fate.”

Christos pretended to study Murray for several moments. “No, I’m calling your bluff on that. There’s no way you could control the media if you did that, and you know Sera would eat you. You aren’t that stupid.”

Murray’s nostrils flared at the dig and moved closer, freezing when he saw the master key ring on the counter. “Yeah, I’m done with your shit. You’re under arrest. I’m deporting you back to wherever you came from.”

I pumped my fist in the air when he brought out the cuffs and moved towards Christos. At first, Christos ignored Murray and locked the computers so he didn’t have access, but then he went over to Murray and put his hands behind his back.

Emilio was already holding the elevator and the second the metal of the cuffs touched Christos’s wrists, I was in the elevator and ready to go. It couldn’t move fast enough for me, but apparently something good had happened that I’d missed on the ride.

Because the doors opened right as I heard Murray say, “You should have done what I wanted when I wanted because now I’m going to take the kid with me too. Sera’s gone too far and needs to be put in her place. She wants to look down on me? Let’s see how bold she is when I hand the kid over to be tested on and she can’t do anything about it.”

“Andrew Murray, you’re under arrest,” I said, trying to keep the sheer joy out of my voice.

He let go of Christos and tried to spin around on me, but I was much faster, grabbing his arms and cuffing them behind his back before he could blink. I also grabbed his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Emilio.

I wasn’t letting this fucker stay parked out in front of my building like he owned the place. I did.

I was the fucking Alpha and boss, and Andrew Murray was about to learn how that really worked.

“Are you out of your mind? You’re out of a job,” Murray blasted as I read him his rights and the charges.

Emilio uncuffed Christos with Murray’s keys and then went for his car. “Your office?”

I kept talking but nodded. When I was done, we were outside, and my security pulled up with a few of our vehicles.

Good, now I had a chance to talk to Murray without cameras.

I gave a happy sigh after I stuffed him in his seat and smiled at Carter. “I cannot tell you how good this feels.”

“What next?” he asked.

I beamed at him. “I need to call Councilwoman Haton for prisoner transport.”

“You’re going to get spanked for this,” he warned.

I snorted. “They should have fucking handled it. They left me to do it. I am. If they don’t like the outcome, I give zero fucks. I’m following the law and done with the politics. They should have done that from the start instead of fucking traumatizing me and making me eat more shit sandwiches while they’re comfy in DC.”

Murray was livid when I got in, ranting and shouting at the top of his lungs. He was so loud that there was no chance I could call Haton, so I texted her and apologized for using her personal phone for work, but my suspect thought screaming would get him out of trouble.

She found that amusing and asked what the charges were.

I smiled and listed the ones I had to start.

Illegally detaining a supe.

Attempted abduction of a child of an Alpha.

And a few others that would shock most.

“You are so fucked,” I chuckled after I hit send.

“No, you are,” he hissed at me, finally done with the screaming. “You have no idea who stands behind me.”

“I do actually, and Perez isn’t one of them. He’s the one who gave me the green light to trap you.” I looked over at him and smirked when his expression was stunned. “Your charm doesn’t work anymore, Murray. It hasn’t. We were playing with you.”

Carter snorted from the driver’s seat. “We have your warlock even, dumbass. He’s in protective custody. That’s why you can’t get in touch with or find him.”

“And we found what you were so nervous about before,” I added as I pulled out my tablet. I pulled up the right clip and played it, smirking as his heart rate picked up.

Murray was starting to get he was fucked.

I wiggled the tablet at him. “This was my ace in case Galvin and Perez kept thinking to let this shit drag on. I didn’t tell them.” I mockingly made the tut-tut sound. “Witness intimidation? From you? I’m… I’m not shocked at all. You work for the FBI and don’t even know that there are extra rules for endangered shifters?

“You went to their place of work and tried to pressure them for information on an Alpha.” I clucked my tongue when he argued. “You were going after me and not professionally. I’m their Alpha, and you know they didn’t know anything about my job. You wanted my dirt, and that makes it personal.”

“And not your damn jurisdiction, so it wasn’t a legal case,” Carter added. “Threatening citizens who gave up a lot to testify against very bad people even. The gulls and foxes put away a lot of monsters, and you threatened to turn them over to their friends? Seriously, what is wrong with you?”

I snorted. “A lot. He never would have passed Quantico without magic. He’s been—”

“The fuck I wouldn’t have!” Murray blasted.

I gave him the look he deserved. “Your delusions are honestly the most dangerous part of you. You really believe that, but it’s just not accurate. I heard the instructors talking on our first day, and you were near the top of all their lists to be out first. I agreed. You changed their minds with magic but never did better. You were the weakest trainee in our class.”

“I will fucking kill you,” he seethed.

“Oh no, not that threat,” I chuckled darkly. I might have poked him more, but I realized that I needed to let Enzo know that I’d sprung this part of the trap and what I was really up to versus what the FBI thought.

I swallowed a sigh when he wasn’t happy he was the last to know and promised to send Carter a list of what he wanted me to bring up under my influence. I knew I’d made a deal with the devil, but like I had enough men bossing me around too many days. He was supposed to be working for me when I asked for his help.

Apparently not.

Still, he got results and was a big help, so that was enough for me.

“Enjoy the same seat we just had a serial killer sit in,” I purred after I got Murray in the interrogation room. “I’m pretty sure you’ll be just as unhinged.”

The kicker of all of this? I’d talked with Tamika on how to use my influence to stir Murray up into going nuclear, but he’d done it all on his own.

No supe powers needed.

“I’m going to get you a few gallons of coffee and everything to soak it up with,” Sander said.

“You guys too.”

He shook his head. “We’re good, Sera. We need very little sleep, and we took turns catching naps while you interrogated the last monster. Now it’s this asshole, and you’re going to put him to the screws before you hand him over. We all know it.”

Yeah, we did.

I sat down and stretched, waiting until I had the word everything was rolling. I smirked at Murray.

“Fuck you,” he sneered. “Your powers and bullshit won’t work on me. I’m not weak like you.”

“Murray, we’re not even in the same league and we never fucking were,” I purred before draping my influence over him. “Let’s start with Perez. Tell me every time you used magic on him. I want him to have a clear conscious on being involved with you.”

Murray wasn’t as easy to hold as Alec Gathoni, but he was human, so he wasn’t too bad. Honestly, the worst part was knowing the people he talked about and did so much too. I couldn’t hide my disgust as he told me time and time again how he’d used Deputy Director Perez. From the moment he graduated Quantico and met him.

And it was just bad luck that Murray had been assigned to the office Perez was the division chief of years ago. Perez had been on his way out, and Murray just in, and a few interactions and bullshit with the charm and that was it. Perez thought he’d made contact with a rockstar rookie who truly cared for doing good, so the guy had put a lot on the line to help Murray.

Except Murray was always dirty and it was bullshit.

“There’s some damage control we have to do here,” Carter muttered.

I snorted. “I like Perez, but the boys club can clean up their own messes. I’m done doing it. Seriously.” I shot him a nasty look when he sighed. “I couldn’t have made it clearer that I’ve wanted a fucking raise for a long time now and I’m tired of being the lowest-paid. You know who’s still the lowest-paid section chief? Me. When others have been promoted since.”

“That’s your pride, Sera,” Carter said gently.

Murray of all people snorted and had the right answer. “It’s not pride with an idiot like Sera. It’s the blinding bright sign they don’t respect her and she knows it. I heard Havers got a huge pay raise for taking section chief so Monroe could have a newly created position. So the FBI can lie about being broke and budgets, but they find it when they need to. Just not for her.”

He was abso-lutely-fucking right, and that was why it always hurt so much. I didn’t need the money. It was about feeling valued.

And no matter the lip service I got, the FBI didn’t fucking value me.

“You will always be the girl no one wants, Sera,” Murray said with a dark chuckle. “Even I didn’t want you. I wanted to humiliate you. Then I wanted what you had.” He gestured to me. “You’re nothing.”

“I know.” I snorted when I felt the shock in the room. “We’ve had this talk, Murray. I’ve always known I’m disposable and I’m not what people want. Always. Even Brian. I believe he loves me now, but he kids himself about how deep his feelings were. He would never have let me go on some of my assignments if he did.”

“Wait, I disagree with that and not to defend Brian,” Carter cut in, waiting to continue until I nodded for him to. “The Boy Scout believes in the system and his ability to protect too much. We know that. He would think all the fail-safes we know get people killed would work.”

“Yeah, but that’s why he’s an idiot and easy to play,” Murray taunted. “That’s why he is stupid enough to see value in you. He believes you’re the good guy like him. You aren’t coming after other FBI.” He narrowed his eyes at me when I snorted. “I know things you’ve done to me in the past after training too, Sera.”

I smirked at him again. “There’s a girls club in the FBI too. It’s the only way to deal with you fucking sexist and stupid assholes.” I moved my elbows onto the table, laced my fingers, and then rested my chin on my hands. “How is your ex-fiancée? Is she enjoying her new husband? He’s a great guy from what I hear.”

“You’ll pay for that.”

“No, I won’t because I was a bitch to an asshole. You’ve broken laws. You’ve…” I sighed and shook my head. “You should have stayed in my past. You were so much scarier then. It wasn’t like your memories, but I hated you, and you were such a fucking nightmare. Now you’re just sad.”

“Pot, kettle.”

I rolled my eyes. “You cheated with magic. You watched me shower in training like a basic perv. At least the mystery of your bullshit kept you more of a threat. You went from good TV show villain to a loser who flips out when he becomes impotent. Your magic charm doesn’t work and you’re fucking unraveling. Fast.”

“The fuck—”

“Slapping me at a crime scene?” I cut in. “Come on. You used to grope me during training and be subtle. You bitch slapped me in front of witnesses on the clock. When did you become such a fucking idiot?”

He spurted bile and bullshit… And just proved my point even more.

“Okay, well that did nothing but waste time when I’m tired. Yeah, what a villain,” I drawled when he was done. I pumped a bit more power on him and sighed. “Let’s start with training. Outline everything you did against the rules of training and to me or any other trainee specifically so we can get it on the record.”

A lot. The moral of the story was that Andrew Murray did a lot even as a trainee with the FBI.

Including raping the only other female in our class. That was why she quit so soon. She reported it, but Murray was right there to work the magic of the charm, and the FBI tossed her out for being unhinged.

Wow.

Like… Wow. Even I remembered thinking she was a basket case and just all over the place, not FBI material.

“I had no idea,” I told Carter, just so I was clear.

“I know. Your shock is filling up the whole building.”

I shook my head. “She didn’t tell me, but honestly I was… She was—she didn’t like me. I was trying to be a man in her mind, and women needed to be women to come up the ranks, not act like the enemy. She never said it, but I got a few images and it—I didn’t want to be around her after that. She wasn’t there long.”

“Apparently because this asshole violated her, and the FBI was completely clueless before you became a wolf and schooled their asses,” Sander muttered, shrugging when I shot him a confused look. “I’ve heard it time and again, Sera. This division was a joke because they didn’t know what it was to be FBI.

“Their division was clueless because they were still living in a world where everyone was human. You are the reason both sides changed. Monroe got the ball rolling and funding, but you did it all. It’s why a lot of us have no faith in the FBI beyond you. Most of the supes who work here at least.”

“I don’t get that,” I hedged.

“You are not the only one pissed you’re the lowest-paid division chief, Sera,” Carter bit out. “All of us are disgusted by it. Miami’s division chief chewed on Monroe’s ear even. He’s not been the only one. I heard he said Galvin just won’t do it after the rumors his wife started. People will latch onto you bitching about it and him giving you what you want.”

I chuckled darkly. “Yeah, what does it matter that it’s what I deserve? Or he should have fucking stopped this shit with his wife running her mouth? Yeah, can’t hurt the mother of his kids over the innocent one who saved her damn life.”

“That’s why I’m always on my side,” Murray said firmly. “You’re an idiot. You trust them, and they’ll always fuck you over. I’m the one who fucks others over.”

“You used to be, Andrew. Now you’re just going to fucking rot. You should have stayed in my past and not been stupid enough for a rematch. I’m older and wiser and knew who to call in for help this time. I’m rich. I’m a fucking Alpha werewolf and siren with tons of tricks you won’t ever understand. You lost the moment you agreed.”

“You think that, but you had to wait for Galvin to give the okay like the bitch you are.”

“Yeah, I’m such his bitch that they wanted you fired, but I’m locking your ass up. Idiot.” I couldn’t do the back and forth with him anymore, so I kept the questions rapid-fire. Or more accusations.

Cases he took credit on.

Palms greased.

Abuse of his badge or position.

Bribes.

Evidence lost.

Everyone else he screwed over.

Anything and everything I could add and keep him in jail longer for… And did he ever deliver. Wow.

We went for hours and hours.

Right before dinner was supposed to arrive, I felt something off. Or more a lack of anything in a way.

I was out of my seat and heading for the door before I realized I’d made the decision or the connection to what was going on. I walked out of the building and held my hand behind me to halt my security that had followed me. It took me a moment, but then I caught the images from the loud broadcaster.

And he was impressed. That was what I got from the tone of what I was seeing.

I looked right in the direction he was standing from how he was seeing me. “I don’t know who you are or what this is, so I’m not going to rage out about turf or get into a pissing match when you’ve not been a threat. However, this kind of behavior makes people nervous, and I don’t like my people worried. I’ve also had it with the crazy and people playing games.

“I’m going to assume that’s not what this is, but going forward we’re going to have a bit of discourse besides what images I get from you.” I nodded when the tone of what I was getting was surprise. “I can’t see you, but I’m getting images from you watching me.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my business card that had my cell number on it.

“You’re curious about me for some reason. I don’t get it, but I’m going to leave the way to communicate with me here. Use it and stop making my people nervous. If you need help, I’ll find a way, okay?” I frowned when that amused the person, almost feeling like the images were now mocking me. “No need to be a shit when I was genuine.”

I glanced around and saw the rocks lining the sidewalk, sticking my card among a few of them so it didn’t immediately blow away. I turned to go back inside but froze at what I got next.

“Thanks.”

“Thanks for what?” Carter asked when I went back inside.

I sighed. “He was sort of telling me that he was impressed that I’d won this part of my war with assholes.”

“He? You know it’s a male now?” Carter asked.

I nodded. “When I mentioned pissing matches, he had a snarky thought about me missing a dick to measure lengths with him.” I shrugged. “It’s not a science. Also, there’s a gift for me at the back door. Check it’s not going to go boom, okay? I gotta get back to Murray.”

“The business card is gone,” Sander muttered.

“You guys always move crazy fast and we can’t see him.” I mentally shrugged this time. What else was there to say? I was glad the guy took it so maybe he could stop freaking us all out?

Yeah, that seemed rude.

Fuck all the damn fucking ducks.

18

As if that random situation wasn’t unsettling enough, another happened as I was eating my second container of fucking awesome sushi. I blinked at Harris and couldn’t seem to get my mouth to work.

When I did, the litany of cursing that came out next was not suitable for children.

Hell, I was pretty sure Harris might have blushed it was so foul.

I got up and headed for the door, ordering Harris to stay with Murray so he wasn’t involved with this. I tried to collect myself before I reached the lobby, but I realized it was a lost cause when I saw the amusement of the group standing there.

Right, ancient vampires heard everything, including when I used bad words.

I dipped my head to Enzo. “Councilman, this is an unexpected surprise. What can I help you with?”

He reached his hand out to me, and when I extended mine, he took it and raised it to his lips. “There is a situation involving someone well connected and powerful in our community. I wished to discuss it with you and ask advice on how to handle it since it involves a human working for the FBI. Then I learned after we landed that you have him in custody.”

Oh, that was a big fat lie being told for our audience… But my wolf could sense it was a lie. Something that actually surprised me.

And Enzo from whatever he read from me. I saw in his eyes he knew I could sense he was lying and found it interesting.

“You know I can’t comment on any ongoing investigation,” I said to keep up the farse.

“I would think nothing less of you, but I wonder if I might question Andrew Murray regarding something that has come to the council’s attention?”

“Of course, Councilman,” I agreed, biting my tongue on what else I wanted to say. I had no reason to deny it and honestly, I really couldn’t. I worked for the FBI, but the councils and Laila could absolutely involve me in their investigations, issue warrants, and much more.

And had.

I wouldn’t have interjected into them questioning anyone I had in custody even if I liked the person. That certainly wasn’t the case with Murray. I led the way back to the interrogation room, and Carter fell in step with me, taking my hand and putting a piece of paper in it.

I was smooth enough to take it quickly and shoved it into my pocket, but it seemed silly like he was slipping me a note in between classes. Though I’d had many do the same when I was undercover or on assignment.

“I apologize for interrupting your meal,” Enzo said as he sat down.

“You’re more than welcome to have some,” I replied pleasantly and handed him a container, ignoring when Murray snorted. “We can always order more.”

“It was a long flight if you don’t mind,” he hedged. “I would only eat locally what you would suggest.”

“It’s not super fancy sushi, but good quality, and good quality is never cheap.” I shrugged as if that said it all.

“Lovely. I also—you called them pies? Chicago pies? My people have talked about eating them. I will buy for your people and whole office, of course.” He glanced to the doorway and nodded to one of his guys to handle it.

Emilio waited for me to agree, promising he’d make sure we got enough.

Yeah, right, and enough for leftovers for the week if it was on Enzo’s dime.

“You saw Seraphine’s kindness and mocked it,” Enzo started as he stared down Murray. “You see her as a kind-hearted fool, and I once thought the same. I even told others that she would be eaten alive in our world within a month of hearing of her. I realized she wasn’t the fool; I was.” He smirked at Murray when the human frowned. “You doubt my sincerity?”

“You want her. That’s what changed. You fell into the trap Havers and others have and let the whore whisper in your ear.”

“No, I can control my logic from my lust,” Enzo threw right back. “And stop with the childish name-calling. I know you lust for her. Her rejection of you does not make her a whore. You couldn’t buy her even with pressure like you have others before. So enough. It is time to speak in truths. And the truth is she’s not a fool.”

“She is.”

“She isn’t and we both know it,” Enzo defended. “She extended me kindness but expects it back. A kind-hearted fool gives but allows themselves to be taken advantage of and become the victim in that way. Sera does not. A person gets one chance to show they will play the game in her way or they are…”

I swallowed a snort when he looked at me. “Voted off the island. I don’t do business with people who are assholes and look down on me.”

“Yes, exactly. She doesn’t start with bluster and flaunting penis size, but true honesty and refreshing openness. I thought that naiveite, but I was wrong.”

Murray snorted. “Now you’re the naive one. Sera is broken.”

Enzo chuckled softly. “So are you, dear boy. We all are. Anyone who has done any true living in the real world has been broken. How we pick ourselves back up is what defines us. You never have. You cheat, and that is what has led one of the most powerful and oldest councilmen of the International Vampire Council to sit here across from you.”

I nodded when Murray looked at me. “I answer to them in the supe division just as I do the FBI. I already have you in custody and he has some questions. There’s nothing illegal about this.”

“Bullshit.”

“Yes, I would trust your knowledge of the law over Seraphine’s,” Enzo drawled before pulling a small notepad out of his pocket. He flipped a few pages and stopped. “Now, what do you have on Fabian Odedra?”

“Never heard the name,” Murray lied, losing his bravado and going a bit pale. “You have to feed me. Legally.”

“You’ve been eating,” I drawled. “We gave you the extra rice and sides we didn’t want. Plus, those rolls that were messed up. Stuff it.” I leaned in on the table next to Enzo. “I have a call into Haton to pick Murray up, but let’s talk a minute about how long you’re going to take and work that out. I should have done that first. Sorry.”

Enzo nodded, seeming amused. He stood and Carter opened the door for us, muttering he’d stay with Harris to babysit Murray.

And tapped my pocket as I walked past, knowing where the note was.

I was too tired to swallow my sigh which amused Enzo even more and confused his guys.

“Let us step outside so you can get some fresh air,” he offered.

“Yeah, about that, we had a visitor,” I sighed. “Remember I told you about the guy no one could sense on pack lands but I’d known was watching me because he was a loud broadcaster?”

“Yes, but I don’t think you said he was a ‘he,’” he muttered.

“I didn’t. I know now.” I told him all of it as we stood by the back door where people took personal phone calls or went to smoke.

“No one like that is here now. You said there was a gift?”

“Right, I didn’t—I’ve got a lot on my plate.”

He nodded and opened the door, gesturing for a few of his guys to go first and probably scour the place for clues. We went out next, and he actually brought me to the bench someone had set up against the building.

When had that happened?

“You’re exhausted,” he noted.

I snorted. “Most every day, Enzo.” I took down my hair and scratched at my scalp to shake it out a bit. I threw it back up and looked at him. “Why are you here?”

He cleared his throat and sat on the bench angled toward me. He moved his hand to my upper arm and rubbed it. “I’ve seen you question suspects. You’re very good. Even without your abilities. The way your brain works is impressive and you—you impress a lot of us.”

“Thank you,” I said after a moment. It was honestly nice to hear when so many lately had been making me feel like I was useless or not up to par. “So what am I missing then?”

“That you’re his victim too, Seraphine,” Enzo said gently, more gently than I’d ever heard him speak before… Which was maybe the only reason I listened. “Yes, you saw behind the curtain and know it was magic, but that doesn’t change what Murray did to you. He came here for you. No one could be objective and completely in control then.”

“I know that.” I huffed when he simply continued to rub my shoulder. “I know that, Enzo. I’m not self-deluded. It’s why I have a transport on the way for him. The council has some of the best investigators in history and will get the rest from him.”

He sighed. “How do you know that they will give it all over to you, Seraphine? There are many there who do not like you or would like to see you burn.”

“I know that too. Haton—”

“Haton is just but one woman too. On a council with a lot of men.”

“Yes, but one of them is now my uncle,” I argued, freezing when he did. “You didn’t know that?”

“No, we were not aware of a—who?”

“Zeno’s younger brother is now the wolf elder,” I explained. “This will be all his given the main charge is threatening the child of a wolf Alpha. Our family.”

“Well, that does absolutely change some of my concerns, but there is a piece of this you’ve been missing that I want now to make the dominoes start falling.”

I was all in for that, so he had my full attention.

His hand moved along my arm and then down to my thigh, giving me a challenging look when I glanced at him.

I snickered. “Enzo, if I didn’t need a shower desperately, I’d curl up on your damn lap and take a nap if you’ve got answers to make this shit end.”

“You’re too young to be pushed so hard always,” he muttered. “How was Murray getting people to keep doing what he wanted? The magic wore off once they—”

“Blackmail,” I answered easily, laughing when I saw the surprise on his face. “I’m not as dumb as people think.”

“I do not think you are dumb at all,” he defended.

“I’m also not as innocent as people see me as.”

He pressed his lips in a line. “Yes, I see you as innocent still and you are. You have seen darkness and know more than most innocents, but you still are. I also never heard you say that you believed Murray was blackmailing people in the long list of his potential crimes.”

“Yeah, it was just a given to me. I’d seen him put the screws to someone in training, so it was like breathing to him.” I shrugged.

“Fair enough. Let us go see who he has all the blackmail on then.”

I grabbed his wrist when he went to stand so he stayed with me. “Can I trust you with that information, Enzo? You wanted to see me in trouble before too.”

He turned and ran his fingers over my cheek with his other hand. “I wanted you begging for me to save you and be something I should never have wanted. That has changed. That need has even been sated that you called on me for help with this. Now I want you to thrive so the people I’ve made that I care for as much as I can have a safe place to retire.”

Fair enough. We went back inside, but I hesitated by the door and reached into my pocket.

“Dubois is giving you cover. The FBI isn’t going to be happy you did this, but now you can blame Dubois stepping in and making it a bigger deal.”

I sighed and stuffed the note back into my pocket. I hadn’t asked for that, and Enzo would probably want to be thanked for it. I appreciated any backup, but I was in the right on this. Why the fuck should I have to hide behind a man for this one?

“Who is Fabian Odedra?” I asked Enzo at a level Murray and most wouldn’t hear once we were back by the interrogation room.

“A huge donor for the wrong side. He’s a puppeteer of political players in the senate who hate supes. He hates us and is pushing that agenda.”

There was something in his voice that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. His tone was heated. “Why does he hate us?”

“Because we’ve banned him from becoming a vampire,” Enzo admitted, nodding when my mouth dropped open. “He’s a disgusting person, and when he learned the truth about us years ago, he made it his mission to find out who was at the top of vampires. The maggot then demanded we give him immortality.”

“He couldn’t have been the only one,” I hedged.

“No, he wanted a council member to turn him,” he clarified, nodding when I did a double take. “And he wanted a seat at the damn table. He basically threatened us that he would be one of us and guide us into this new age and we would be blessed to have him and his wealth, or he would become our biggest enemy.”

“And you didn’t take a stupid human seriously,” I sighed.

“In hindsight, we were dismissive, but he was simply some rich asshole back then. We’re talking over a decade ago. He was wealthy and disgusting, screwing over family for inheritances and trying to get in tighter with criminals. He was one of dozens of wealthy loudmouths this one country has.”

“What did you say to him exactly that pissed him off so much and made him fixate on you guys to deliver on his promise?”

“We didn’t. We made it clear that our aides wouldn’t even deliver the message from someone so insignificant like we always do. Then we sent out the word to all the covens that the human was on the banned list and to make him one of us would end in their death.”

“You had to know that would piss him off,” I drawled. I held up my hand to his objections. “I’ve had to say the same a lot as Alpha and a division chief, Enzo. You can say they need to go up the ladder and not directly to the top without calling them insignificant. You just poke people when you do shit like that.”

“You’re not wrong, but I’ve been alive much longer, my dear,” he purred, seeming extra amused for some reason I didn’t understand. “I could be the rudest man to you ever in response to something you said, and that wouldn’t make you fixate on me for fifteen years.”

I sighed. “You’re right. Some people will be insulted and take issue even if you’re super polite. They normally back off if you don’t entertain their crazy. I get it. From some of you. I understand that response and theory, but we both know that you have members who see all of us as insignificant.”

“You’re well read-in on the council,” he accepted.

I went to say we should just get to it, but the tension coming from his people was rising. “What? What did I miss?”

“Most people don’t like what comes out of my mouth when they act too familiarly with me and use my first name,” Enzo explained. “They’re waiting for me to behave like normal.”

And they didn’t know we were screwing. Got it.

I looked at his people. “Your Master is also understanding when he gets to know someone. We’ve worked together several times on too much crazy and he gives me a pass. I give him one. It’s nice. Thank you for your worry, but I’m safe with him.”

I ignored when Carter snorted… But then decided to poke some fun at him and the others to lighten the mood.

“Well, as safe as I can be with all you crazy old-ass ancients.”

“Oh, it’s all of us?” Emilio challenged.

I nodded with the most innocent face I could. “Ask Eugene. He said women are perfect and the better sex, and it’s all you dumb men that make everything complicated and fall apart.” It was so damn hard not to laugh at the shock on all of their faces.

“He’s really pushing to have sex finally,” Sander whispered. “Like wow. That dire wolf is ready to be in your bed for real and make you his.”

I beamed at him. “I know, right? I kinda wanna poke him and see what else he pulls out next.” We had a chuckle at that—a much needed one—and then got back to the job and crazy.

“So how did you meet Fabian Odedra?” Enzo went right back to. “Clearly, you used your magical charm to trick someone into bringing you around the man to meet him. So who? How?”

Murray pretended like he didn’t know anything and sent me a warning look.

I snorted. “Fuck you, Murray.” I draped my influence over him and forced him to answer. I didn’t pay enough attention to politics to recognize the names or who was connected to whom, but from the way Harris’s heart raced and the images I got from him, what Murray was saying was a big fucking deal.

One Enzo was practically salivating over.

I had to interrupt though. “Harris, sorry, but I need you out. You can watch—I’m not hiding it from you.”

Harris caught on. “We’re both loud broadcasters. You’re going to give yourself a migraine.”

“We’re already there,” I admitted with a sigh. “I’m too tired and missed the warning signs.”

“I’ll get your meds.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you need a break?” Enzo asked gently.

“No, but I can’t be much help. I don’t know who you guys are talking about anyways.” I thanked him when he reached into his jacket and pulled out his sunglasses. Yeah, that would help since we couldn’t cut the lights when we were recording.

“Of course, you don’t know anyone important,” Murray taunted.

I didn’t even engage. “Important” was relative, and my head hurt too much to spar with that asshole.

I thanked Harris when he came back with my meds, a cold Coke, and an ice pack for the back of my neck or forehead. Perfect.

We went for hours more, and I finally had to take a break… To take a call I didn’t want to. I sighed. Heavily.

But it was time to just have this out.

I got on the line and couldn’t hold in the sigh when the men were already arguing. “I’m so glad these calls now include my damn fiancé,” I drawled to let Galvin, Monroe, Perez, and Havers know I was on the line. “Remember when it was just you starting trouble and me trying to hide I wanted to beat your ass, Chad?”

“I kinda miss them if I’m honest,” Monroe chuckled. “I had a fighting chance then. Now you just bring pain.”

“Stop being stupid and I won’t,” I grumbled.

“You okay, Thomas?” Perez worried.

“How was the night’s sleep you all got last night that I didn’t? I’ve spent almost twenty-four hours listening to severely disturbing shit, and I’m not sure if the serial killer or Murray was worse.”

“Well, that makes me want to not yell at you for taking him into custody,” Galvin admitted.

“You really didn’t see her doing this?” Perez muttered. “Seriously? Have you met her? Because I have and I knew this ending.”

“Yes, I knew—into her custody means out of our hands and into the custody of the shifter council,” Galvin complained.

“You had four or five months to act so that happened. You didn’t. You told me to finish this. I did, sir.” I snorted. “Actually, you had Perez do it because you and Monroe didn’t want to get chewed on.”

Galvin cleared his throat. “I think we should talk later when you’ve had time to—”

“My head won’t clear and my sass won’t chill either, sir,” I said evenly. “He threatened my son. He said he was going to take my son from my home and give him over to people who wanted to do testing on him. That he knows these people and they’ve pushed him to fucking kidnap my son so they can do experiments on him and get me under control. This is my calm after that.”

A fly farting in another state could be heard the line went so quiet.

Galvin sighed. “Well, maybe Havers—”

“He’s my son too, sir,” Havers bit out. “I’m pissed I didn’t get to claw up the fucker after seeing what he said. So Sera had the clear head here and followed the law. You can’t seriously be asking her to go against the few protections supes have and allow someone who threatened the son of the Alpha to go unpunished?”

Someone snorted, and my money was actually on Perez.

“Give it up, Scott,” Perez sighed. “You’d do much worse if someone had threatened your kids like that. Besides, I told her to go full-out.”

“What?” Galvin demanded.

“It’s time to take the players we can off the board before we’re all dead,” Perez defended. “We’re not tossing drugs in his trunk. He’s committed crimes. Let him fry for it. I get you don’t trust the councils any more than you do administration, but her damn adopted uncle is the wolf elder now. I heard it myself. He’s not going to let her get screwed on this or screw us.”

“I agree, sir,” Monroe added. “You’re remarkably noble for one with so much authority. That’s commendable. Truly. But they’re not playing remotely with honor or with a full deck. I get you’re trying to respect someone with the badge—”

Galvin snorted. “Murray should never have had one. He cheated through training. That’s not what this is. If we take off one of their people and put them in prison that’s the level of acceptable next. And I’m at the top of their damn hit list.”

Okay, when he put it like that, I kinda saw his side more. “I understand your fear with that and what it could mean for your family, sir. But you putting that as a priority and playing so much defense left me and my family vulnerable.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry about that, Thomas. I really am. This isn’t math or an easy equation to solve. My goal is for none of our families to get hurt.”

“I know that, but they’re already way past willing to put us in prison. They tried to live dissect me and wanted to do it to my son. They want to shoot on sight and to control us like animals they own. So I’m done, and I’m bringing everything I’ve got to get people off the map. I’m with Perez on that.”

“I’m so glad you two are getting along so well,” Galvin said, his tone frosty. “That should make it easier for you both to handle the mess Murray has left in Chicago in his wake. I have piles of requests to transfer and more, and now we have no candidate to put into his position and run that office. So you both will.”

“I walked right into that one,” Perez sighed.

I had a completely different answer but left it alone. Reminding Galvin that all of this was his fault to start with wouldn’t do much besides piss him off some more, and most of the time I was his favorite. I preferred that, so I could eat a large shit sandwich to get what I wanted at the moment.

That was just life.

19

It took another two days to get everything I needed out of Murray for the FBI. There was more Enzo still wanted and after talking with Haton, he made a deal to accompany Murray to the council’s headquarters. Now that my adopted uncle was on the council, Alena was making certain allowances including a few female sirens working as his aides.

Focused on interrogations. They were going to need more than a few to do that constantly, but the council interrogators were no joke, so I got the feeling it was more to tap in on rough instances. Or where someone had a gut feeling something was missing. We were really useful in that instance for sure.

I was mostly relieved that I could finally get some fucking sleep and real rest.

Except I woke to Topher screaming at the top of his lungs.

I shot out of bed and raced for the door, shocked I could hear him so well with the soundproofing the building had. I reached the hallway in no time and was to the apartment door before I realized what was going on.

Namely, everything was quiet.

I froze with my hand reaching for the knob to break in. I was completely on high alert, but there was nothing.

My wolf was trying to get my attention, so I focused on her instead of Topher’s scream ringing in my ears. She was telling me to listen, but all I could hear was what woke me up.

Meaning it wasn’t real. I dropped my hand and stumbled back until I hit the wall. I let out jerky breaths and slid to the ground.

Nightmare. It was a nightmare.

Right?

Yes. It wasn’t only his scream but my own stuck in my throat as I felt horror. I’d been dreaming of something bad to wake like that. I couldn’t think of what it was though.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

Just in case, I hugged my knees to my chest and tried to calm down so I could assess what was going on in the apartment. It took several minutes, but then I heard Topher’s heartbeat, calm and even. Maya’s as well. Both were asleep and fine.

So were the fairy guards next door.

Everything was fine.

So why couldn’t I get up and go back to bed?

“Just for a bit,” I whispered as I tried to tell my body to relax more and everything was okay. I still felt ready to fight at any moment.

But my exhaustion must have pulled me under because I woke when I heard a door clicking closed. I tried to open my eyes and argue, but I was too tired.

“Sleep, babe,” Brian whispered. “He’s fine. We’re all okay, I promise. No one’s going to hurt Topher. Not like that. Not ever.”

I felt tears burn in my eyes, remembering what the nightmare had been about. Someone had taken Topher and was experimenting on him. I was forced to watch and that was his screaming. I’d failed my baby brother and son and had let someone get him.

I woke completely wrecked which I’d expected anyways with how many days I’d gone without sleep and pushing myself. It was just extra bad because of the nightmare.

Firm lips pressed against mine and I fed heavily from Eugene.

“Sleep, pup,” he whispered. “It’s Sunday and you can sleep.”

“Topher,” I argued.

“Brian went to go get him and you guys can nap together, okay?”

“I need to shower and eat.” I blinked my eyes open and knew they were puppy dog eyes. “Please? I feel gross and I’m starving.”

He opened his mouth but then closed it, simply nodding. I knew why.

I’d showered at the office a few times while handling Murray. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been taking showers. Hell, they had helped me stay awake and keep going most of the time.

I just felt gross after everything. I didn’t think anyone could blame me.

He gave me a quick shower and carried me out to the kitchen just as Carter brought in food and Maya did Topher. I swallowed tears and immediately reached for him. Topher didn’t like me upset, and I tried to tell him it was just nightmares but I’d got scared. The little bugger sent me images of his favorite plushie as if that could keep me safe.

I appreciated the offer and desire to help me too. I promised Maya we were fine and she could do whatever she needed to, that we had Topher for now.

“What happened?” Reagan asked when he arrived with more food.

“I felt her panic, but she wasn’t answering her phone and nothing seemed wrong. She was still scared, and I thought it was a nightmare, but my wolf said she was awake. I—I’m still not getting it all,” Brian explained. “I found her in just a hoodie sitting outside Topher’s apartment. She was crying in her sleep that they took him and dissected him.”

“Maybe we need to have him visit Alena and get him out of the line of fire,” Reagan worried.

“Sera considered the same, but she thinks—and I agree—that it would confirm to everyone that Topher is gifted. If we do it now after the ICE shit and Murray being caught, it will be a huge flag we’re worried.”

“Then what the fuck do we do?” Reagan worried. “Do we know who wanted him?”

“Yes,” I answered, letting them know I was listening. “Murray didn’t know all of them, but he knew the people who contacted him directly trying to use his badge to get him out of our protection and into like DCFS where they could get him. I think we need to talk to the AG and the head of DCFS directly. I don’t care if they come visit and see he’s great.”

“I agree,” Brian said after a moment. “I’ve got this, babe. I promise.”

Did he ever. The Boy Scout pulled out all of the damn stops and probably called in a lot of favors but clearly wasn’t fucking around when it came to his son.

Right before dinner, I got word from him to come down to the lobby. I figured we were heading out to talk to someone or… I wasn’t really sure, but I was still exhausted, so I just went.

And got quite the shock.

CPD’s chief of police, Marshall from the AG’s office, and two other men I didn’t know. I tried to get my mouth to work and then just pointed around and then moved my hands out as if to say, “What the fuck?”

“Sera hasn’t gotten much sleep since she was handling that serial killer case your people helped us with,” Brian said, but mostly to the chief of police.

“That was… Wow, horrid,” he muttered. “Havers called us and invited us to dinner and to see a few things with our own eyes so there’s never an issue with your son. He explained there’s a new threat against him and people want to use the system to get at you.”

“That’s the simple version but yeah, a few different threats and from high up,” I admitted, extending my hand to him. “Nice to see you again.”

“You as well.”

I shook Marshall’s hand before being introduced to the ADA Brian had worked with and knew. I almost pulled back my hand when I was told who the last person was, but I kept it together and was polite. I could do that for Topher.

“I wasn’t in charge of DCFS when you were in the system,” the man said gently as he shook my hand. “I’m trying to fix it and make it better.”

“I hope you succeed,” I said genuinely.

Brian had to shake himself out of my reaction, giving me a look like he’d never seen me before.

I sighed and decided it was better to explain it than let them worry. “He’s still a new wolf, and certain things catch us off guard. How much fear he’s smelling from me being in the same room with someone who works with DCFS is throwing him. I know I’m not a child anymore, but… Not everything goes away with age.”

“Sorry, babe,” Brian said quietly. “Jesus, I’m—you’re very good at hiding your upset. I never—we’ve had other cases and I never knew it bothered you.”

I shrugged. What else was there to say? “So what’s first? You’re meeting Topher?”

“We’re going to show them his living space and have dinner in the party room with all of his parents so they can feel comfortable we’re all good people.”

“It’s not a typical situation,” Marshall said with a sigh. “I just—my main question is why doesn’t he live with you?”

Now I understood, waving them to follow. “Because he was a target the moment any of my family popped their head out. A blood relative, no matter the side, makes people salivate for bad things after people tried to live dissect me. Plus, just like anyone rich and powerful, he’s got targets on him. We thought having him in a different unit would be better just in case.”

I pointed out the different security to get up to our floor, and that seemed to amuse Marshall.

“Part of being able to provide for Topher is keeping him safe,” Brian defended.

“You’re right, sorry, I don’t have kids. It just seemed…”

“You’re not wrong, but a dirty division chief tried to get the main keys and find him to hand over. That’s the reality of how pissed people are that I have money or a voice they can’t control. Powerful people.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know someone had acted on a threat yet,” he whispered. “Jesus, you just are—I’m exhausted for you.”

“I’d like a vacation,” I chuckled darkly.

The doors opened and I pointed down the hall to where Hagan or Reagan normally were before the apartment with Topher’s guards. I told them where I was when we got closer and then stopped at Topher’s door. I knocked and clearly Brian had warned Maya from the way she opened the door ready to throw down.

“I want to meet these humans before they come near my ward,” she said firmly.

“This is Maya, Topher’s nanny,” I introduced. “She’s been a nanny for noble fairies for like seven hundred years.”

“Eight,” she corrected as she stepped out into the hall and let the door close behind her. She shook hands with each of them but shot me a look. “This one has ill intentions.”

I sighed, not happy she busted the ADA. “He hopes getting in good with us will help him become DA later. That’s not ill intentions like he’s going to harm Topher.” I shrugged when Brian and the ADA couldn’t hide their shock. “Fairies know all, and you’re a loud broadcaster.”

“You’re not wrong, but I’m clean, and there are lines in any fight. Threatening kids isn’t one anyone should ever cross.”

Fair enough.

We brought them inside and let them see Topher’s apartment.

“This is cute,” the guy from DCFS complimented, gesturing to the decorations on the wall. “You’re adjusting him to all of the shifters you have in your pack so he’s not scared later.”

I nodded. “He has a lot of aunts and uncles that come with a pack. He’s seen me as a wolf and understands not everyone is like him.” I felt the tension go up and decided to address what they would be worried about. “Topher does not attend full moon events. We do not shift around him during the lunar cycle. Also, there is a list who is not to be alone with him.”

Brian cleared his throat. “She means me. I’m too new. At least for now. I can hold him now that I’ve been shifting for months, but someone who knows new shifters is always around.”

“We have no intention of infecting Topher,” I said firmly. “Will he maybe want it when he’s older?” I shrugged. “Maybe not. Maybe he’ll want to be a vampire with all his vamp aunts and uncles. I have no idea, but it’s not happening before his brain fully develops and he’s had enough years under his belt to know what he wants.”

“Will he ever be allowed at full moon events?” the guy from DCFS asked.

“Yes, but not involved in them,” I said firmly. “When he’s older and we can discuss things, I don’t see anything wrong with him seeing how we change forms or the power of our pack being together. He’s perfectly safe with his guards and people who can move faster than I can change forms. He can see things from a distance.”

“We don’t have accidents,” Brian added. “There hasn’t been one since Sera took control of the pack. Not with the wolves and same with the guests. There are rules, and people keep others in check.”

“It’s hard to picture,” the guy defended. “I always hear the other side where someone loses control and there’s chaos.”

“Half of those stories are bullshit,” I said firmly, nodding when he frowned. “A lot of everything is bullshit and we all know that. It does happen, but normally because someone doesn’t listen. I have pack who were once idiots and didn’t listen that the person near them was a shifter and to back off. That is the majority of being infected.

“It’s someone in a car accident getting in the face of someone scared and upset. It’s a shifter feeling threatened and their animal coming out to defend them. In normal circumstances, there are very few risks. I can’t remember the last time someone was hurt at an event besides maybe playing football and that happens with humans.”

“I read that information your office gave to the CPD to update us,” the chief of police said. “It was eye-opening. I had no idea that such a high percentage of shifter infections were during traffic accidents or stops.”

“Tensions are heightened, and most cops on duty aren’t trained on what to do. We’re trying to change that.” I cleared my throat when I realized I’d gone into work/teaching mode instead of being a parent. Topher gave a cry, and I was out of his room and into the living room to get him in a flash. I chuckled at what I got from him, the little bugger giving me pouty lip.

“What’s wrong?” Brian worried.

“Nothing,” I chuckled, peppering Topher’s face. “He knows something’s up but just wanted to see us.”

“And you know that because you’re clairvoyant,” the DCFS guy muttered.

“I got the image of Brian’s face since Topher heard his voice, but I can smell Topher’s not distressed. I can hear his heart is fine. He’s just a sassy baby.” I shrugged.

“That’s more insight than I ever got with my damn kids,” the chief of police joked, giving the DCFS guy a look to back down. We hadn’t actually done anything wrong to get investigated and he was being a bit pushy.

But he also didn’t think that a human child should be with a bunch of supes. That wasn’t his fucking call to make, and I planned on saying that very clearly.

Dain arrived, probably sensing something was off, and took Topher from me. “Dinner is ready upstairs.”

“How many fathers does he have?” the DCFS guy asked.

“As many as I want and Topher agrees to have,” I answered evenly, giving him the look he deserved. We stepped out into the hallway and I smiled at Dain. “You guys go ahead. We’ll take the next elevator.”

I felt better when the DCFS guy was nervous at that.

He fucking should be.

“Topher is my blood even if not my son, and I was his best option,” I said evenly when I was alone with him. “You don’t understand supes and have biases against us. You don’t get to judge him being here or my life. You’re overstepping like DCFS always does but in the wrong way. Just like that Mrs. Lopez. Do you remember her?”

“Yes, and I hated her too,” he answered quietly. “You’re right that I don’t know supes and they scare me. You guys can be dangerous.”

“So can all of the humans who abused me horribly when I was in their care. We know monsters come in all species.”

“I agree, but I do get to judge your life and the stability the child will have.”

“No, you don’t,” I warned as I squared off with him. “You’re sexist and think I’m a whore. Too bad. People are circling to abduct him and use your agency as the way in because they know it’s broken. You’re here to see that any report he is abused or not taken care of is bullshit.

“You came here in good faith and even tried in his room, but realizing you have to have dinner with me and Topher’s multiple fathers chaps you. It’s too far for you, and you’re now looking and poking. So if you can’t handle this, then leave.” I nodded that I wasn’t kidding. “Or accept you won’t like it, but too fucking bad because that’s being an adult, so ask the questions you need.”

He adjusted his neck and gave a sharp nod. “Fine, because no matter what I do think, seeing that child—or any child—taken and experimented on is something of my damn nightmares.”

“Mine too especially because I barely survived what they would want to do,” I whispered, hitting the elevator button harder than needed.

He noted that but didn’t say anything, and I was just lucky that I didn’t break it… Like I had before.

“Is everything fine?” Dain worried when we arrived upstairs.

“He has some questions about the arrangement we have and the stability of Topher’s life,” I said, knowing Dain could handle that better than I could.

He studied the human and frowned. “I am Sera’s husband. It’s not like the piece of paper to make it legal or a church blessing. It’s our souls and cannot be undone. The same with Reagan. Brian and Sera are engaged but have been in each other’s lives for many years. Hagan and Sera are involved, but there is no rush. However, all four of us are Topher’s fathers.”

“That seems problematic,” he sighed.

“Why?” Hagan pushed, introducing himself along with Reagan. “You’re thinking like a human and while Topher is one, we don’t want his view as narrow. We have humans in this pack and they get it too. Pack is family. Wolves especially believe that it takes a village to raise a child. Always.”

Dain also explained how fairies believed the more love their leader received, the more love they could show. I barely listened to the conversation, instead focusing on Topher since I hadn’t gotten a chance to see him much and he was worried about me.

He squealed as we danced around the room, and I sang to him in a few different languages. He gave a shriek when I changed languages, and I beamed at him each time.

“He’s getting better,” Brian praised. “Good job, buddy.”

Topher held his hands out to Brian, but I shook my head. Instead, Brian hugged me from behind and held Topher too that way.

“You’re too tense right now?” Marshall caught on.

“No, but we don’t take risks,” I answered honestly. “There are strangers around, and this isn’t a normal situation. It’s never worth the risk.” I met his curious gaze. “Brian’s not had one slip. I trust him, but—”

“Why risk it?” the ADA said. “Yeah, I wish more people did that with more things from driving after a drink to—everything. It’s never worth the damn risk.” He nodded when I did, and I appreciated the backup. “What was with the singing?”

Dain nodded for us to come to the table. “Sera read a study that the best way to raise a multilingual child was to start with having them learn to distinguish different languages.”

“And he can?” the DCFS guy challenged. “There’s no way he knows what you’re speaking.”

Topher did a few, but that was because he was clairvoyant, and none of these people would ever learn that. “No, he has no idea the languages. It’s more…” I looked to Dain for help. I hadn’t meant to do this in front of others, but I’d simply wanted to have fun with Topher.

My bad.

“His ears know he’s hearing something different,” Dain said simply. “He’s starting to distinguish when Sera speaks different languages like when he hears different people talk to him. It’s just a guide to broaden his hearing like others for vision and more.”

“Plus, he just really likes Sera’s voice,” Brian chuckled. “I’m starved. Who’s hungry?”

Luckily, that got people to drop the topic, everyone focused on the impressive meal that was ready. I realized another problem and asked Dain to tell them about Topher’s diet and the plans we had laid out and what he currently was eating.

And while he was doing that, I sent images to Topher to make a mess. He didn’t get it at first but then understood he couldn’t be “special” and I was protecting him. Which was also why I made sure there wasn’t a spoon for him like normal. I knew Dain and Reagan understood since they sat one on either side of Topher, but Hagan and Brian probably caught on as well.

“Okay, he is the most loved baby in the damn world, and you guys have your act together better than any parents I’ve ever even heard of,” the ADA said when Dain was done. “Seriously.”

“Really?” I hedged.

“Sera, we keep telling you that,” Reagan chuckled as he reached over and rubbed my shoulder. “You didn’t have—we had a good childhood and loving parents. So did Brian. You and Dain didn’t and try so hard.”

Marshall snorted. “You have chefs, actual chefs, prepare your son’s baby food. And I’ve eaten at TimeQuake’s restaurant a few times for meetings. Their food is amazing, and your nutritional plan for your son who won’t remember any of this is having them make his puree. Yeah, you’re acing this parenting thing, Thomas.”

“And anyone who even thought otherwise or that Topher could ever be abused or neglected has an agenda,” the ADA said as he stared at the guy from DCFS. “The DA would immediately file charges of corruption and make sure a lot happened when the mayor has visited their home as well.”

“That sounds about right,” the chief of police agreed.

I let out a shaky breath and tears burned my eyes. Reagan pulled me on his lap and hugged me tightly, rubbing my back and turning me away from everyone else.

“The only one who thinks you can’t be a good mom is you, Sera,” he whispered softly. He talked a bit more and comforted me before I got it together and slid back into my seat. That was more intimate and like PDA than I would have liked in front of outsiders, but honestly I was wrecked after the past week, so I just took the comfort.

“I hate to bring up something else that might upset you, but it’s a hard topic to ask about,” the ADA hedged, waiting until I nodded for him to go ahead. “I read you have a fear of flying? How is that going?” He winced at what he saw from us and hurried on. “I mean, have you found anything that’s helped?”

“You suffer with the same,” Dain surmised.

“Yes.”

I sighed. “I don’t—flying was never a thing for me except I almost died on one assignment I had to fly for. I was abducted from the airport after another assignment. Brian almost died at the plane when we were on assignment. There’s been a lot, so it’s not the—”

“My mother died in a plane crash,” he cut in. “I wasn’t there but yeah, it… I can’t fly.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry, that’s really rough. I can give you my therapist’s number, and she can get you the right person maybe.”

“Not her?” he muttered.

“She specializes in working with shifters who were infected in traumatic ways. She’s just trying to get me through this too since we have the trust.”

He nodded. “Thanks, I’ll take the help. It’s really hard to know where to turn to that won’t make things worse for me.”

Unfortunately, that was the problem with too much in life and the hardest part of being an adult most days.

20

“Turn on the news,” Carter demanded as he came flying into my apartment as I was just about to head out to take Topher for a run by the lake Saturday. It was a gorgeous April morning, and I wanted to have some fun with him and Reagan since he was moved into his apartment now.

Carter didn’t even give me the chance to do what he said, already at my TV and flipping on what he wanted.

“There were whispers that a few big names got caught up in the sweep, but I would never have expected so many and the people named,” a female voice said. “The most shocking is Director Ferguson of the FBI. Sorry, former director. I misspoke.”

My feet moved without me even realizing it.

“Dubois already had this set up when you brought in Murray, but he got access to Murray’s treasure trove of dirty secrets from that server farm,” Carter muttered as we watched the news broadcast. “I would bet some of that will be falling in the DA’s lap.”

“It was a gambling hall that I saw?” I asked. “Enzo was thrilled about some illegal poker games?” Yeah, I was definitely missing something. What they said next on the news filled me in, and I was suddenly sitting in shock.

“Bratva. Un-fucking-real,” Carter whispered. “All these high-level and powerful men were gambling at a Russian mob illegal casino for thrills and hugely in debt to them.”

“You didn’t know either?”

“No, Dubois wanted us all surprised.”

“We’re sure this was what…” I trailed off when they showed images of inside the place. Yeah, that was what I’d gotten off of Murray months ago.

Wow.

“So you recognize that?” Carter checked.

I nodded. “The coloring is a bit different, but that’s normal. That one with the table now set up for poker with chips all over. The painting behind it. I remember that. Also, the bar.” The screen changed to listing names with pictures and I almost fell off my seat. “That’s the head of the ethics committee.”

Carter snorted. “That seems like an oxymoron for DC or politics.”

That was another conversation for another day. Right then, I was trying not to pinch myself that what I was seeing was real.

No, I totally did when I recognized a few more faces and names.

“He set them up to be there all on the same night. There’s no way that many just happened to be there to get caught up in a bust on a Friday night,” I muttered.

“I would assume he moved pawns around or made something happen that they all wanted to be there,” he agreed. “Jesus, isn’t that the president’s chief of staff?”

“Apparently,” I muttered.

He sat next to me. “It’s like I want to be happy that so many bad people were taken out with this, but—”

“I doubt that,” I muttered. “They’ll all plead ignorance that it was a Bratva place or make up bullshit.”

“The liars are seeming to be more blatant than I remember,” he muttered. “This is like before newspapers or TV. They say things don’t happen even when it’s right there recorded and people still believe them. I don’t understand it.”

I nodded I heard him, but I wasn’t sure I had anything to add.

“It also upsets me because some of them were more reserved keeping back the crazies. That wench from the hearing and I believe came to your club? She’ll move up in seniority now, yes?”

“Yes, but she’s been way more chill since her health scare.” I snorted. “More like the pushback that she blamed supes instead of thanking us that I figured out she needed medical attention before she did. That could have saved her life. She sounded like a lunatic trying to get me arrested for that, and even those on her side said so. She’s chilled since then.”

“She might not now that her side has less reserved voices towards the front.”

I shrugged. “Let her. Let her rile up the super crazies. Look how that worked in Memphis or even what just happened in Alabama. It made normal people on the other side see they were on the wrong side if they were aligned with them. Fuck, I hope they all stop keeping the crazy quiet. Say it louder and drive most away from them. Let them show that they’re radical.”

“You know it won’t end that way for everyone,” Carter said gently.

“I know.” I let out a slow breath. “I know. A lot of people will dig their heels in and die on this hill instead of seeing how horrible they’re being. I know that. I would still rather have that instead of this bullshit framing that their stance is reasonable and we’re asking for too much. That we’re trying to be too progressive to ask for equality. It’s fucking insane.”

Too much was, and it was exhausting all of the fucking time.

“I’m heading out,” I said as I stood.

He jumped to his feet and grabbed my arm. “You’re leaving? Where are you going?”

“For a run with Reagan and Topher by the water. It’s gorgeous out. I want to enjoy it.”

He pulled me closer and lowered his head to mine, brushing his lips over mine. “Good for you, darling. Let me change and I’ll be on your detail, okay?”

“You don’t have to. Sander’s got it covered.”

“No, I could use it too. It sounds nice.”

Yeah, it did, and I didn’t want to stay stuck in news reports and more drama even if it might be good for our side. It made me sad we had different sides when we were all supposed to be on the same side. We could all have different views and be on the same side. There was a difference.

A big one.

We met in the garage and drove down to South Shore Beach. The plan was to start there and run the seventeen miles up to Montrose Beach along Lake Michigan. There were enough places to stop and make a morning of it instead of just zipping along.

Reagan came separate and gave me a heated kiss in greeting before scooping up Topher and dancing around with him. I smiled when I saw Leo, Cory, and Tommy as well.

“You guys joining us?”

“I want to work on my driving,” Tommy admitted. “And running where it’s this busy would scare me.” Alok waved from the car, so I saw he was going to be working with and protecting Tommy just in case. Perfect.

“We’re not going to make the full thing, but we’re going to run some of it,” Leo said, Cory agreeing and seeming not bothered by that.

I thought it was great and reminded them that not all of us would make it the full course either. I loaded Topher into the running stroller, and he was so excited that we were basically having a party… For him. He was a baby. He was included.

It was all about him then. He wasn’t wrong but yeah, he was just excited we were all there and were going to have fun.

“We’re going to have so much fun you’re going to be pooped,” I promised.

We started out easy the first two miles… For supes. The boys could run faster than humans, pretty damn fast for bunnies even, but they weren’t a match for wolves or ancient vampires.

Hell, I wasn’t a match for ancient vampires.

We stretched and checked on the boys, but they were fine.

So we kept going and picked up the pace, Topher squealing in delight as we did. I swallowed down nerves when some people pointed or noticed us, worried they might start something. But Topher’s stroller had a large cover that people would have to duck down to see him. I wanted it for sun protection but also for privacy, and no one could just snap pictures of him.

Reagan sensed my unease. “We have a large group. That normally catches attention, and the one couple wondered if we were training for the marathon. We’re fine, jelly bean.”

“Yup, and we clearly needed it. I hope we can do it more often before it gets too hot.”

“Yeah, or earlier before work when it will be cooler still,” he agreed. “This is nicer for my wolf than the treadmill. I love the gym, and it’s nice to help with the energy costs, but… I need more outside.”

“Me too.” We shared a smile, and I let Reagan take over pushing Topher, shrugging when he seemed confused. “He wants you to take a turn.”

“He’s going to be spoiled to the max if you just give him everything he thinks,” Reagan muttered quietly.

“Yeah, but… His life is going to be hard, Reagan. Really hard.”

“I know. We’ll make it special and easier on him. This isn’t a big deal, so of course, we’d do it. I’m just… You’re a very giving person, Sera. You want everyone happy. I…”

“He’s going to need boundaries to thrive. I know. I get it.”

“Yes. Even his food. I think he doesn’t need quite so much spoiling or he’s going to be spoiled.”

I frowned when I felt his hesitation. “Have you wanted to bring this up?”

“Yes, but it’s your thing with Dain.”

“No, I don’t want that. You’re his dad too. You’ve made that clear and Topher accepts it.” I frowned harder. Maybe that was why Topher liked Dain most? Dain had immediately stepped in and taken the role of his father while the others hesitated. “Okay, well maybe we should start having a weekly dinner and discuss what’s going on with him. That’s a family thing?”

“A very organized family thing,” he chuckled. “But yes, I would love that. I can text the others that we’re having dinner tonight with you and Topher and are setting up the parent council?”

“How would that work?” I hedged. “I get sixty percent vote and you guys get forty total?”

“Nothing that formal, but we know you’re the boss,” he promised, his tone still amused.

It took me a moment before I elbowed him. “You were teasing me.”

“Yes, yes, I was.” He burst out laughing when I stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed so hard he had to stop running, the rest of us jogging in place as he did.

If it was anyone else, I might have gotten miffed, but Reagan full laughed so rarely that I simply enjoyed it. He was so serious like I was and it was good to hear.

He slid his arm around me and kissed me deeply, making me stop running as well. “I love you, jelly bean. Thanks for hearing me. After dinner let’s go to the club and you can feed, yeah?”

“Yeah, she’s extra hungry from all of the stress,” I admitted. I shot him a look that I knew it was more than him trying to be helpful.

He simply shrugged. Of course, that was his response. It wasn’t like he was going to announce he’d benefit from me feeding my siren. I was super fucking horny after I did.

Duh.

“I’m out,” Cory announced when we hit about seven miles. “I can’t. I’m out. Sorry.”

I stopped and went over to him, rubbing my hand over his hair. “Hey, that’s great. That’s seven miles more than you used to be able to do. Never forget that, okay?”

“You’re right,” he agreed, gasping for air.

“I’ll stay with him and catch up,” Sander promised. “We’ll walk until Tommy swings over and gets him.”

“Perfect, thanks. We’ll see you at the end, Cory.”

“Yup, good. Water?” he gasped as he tugged at the front of his shirt.

Oh boy. Someone gave him a cold bottle, and Sander was clearly trying not to laugh at his antics.

We lost Leo at ten miles, and Sander was already back and hung with him as well. He really liked being a big brother to them too and everyone liked Sander.

Everyone.

Seriously.

Once Leo left, the others acted like we were going to pick up the pace, but I simply snorted.

“No?” Reagan checked.

“Yeah, no,” I grumbled as we continued on. “We pick up the pace and I’m tapping out too.” I shrugged when he couldn’t hide his shock. “I didn’t have time at Quantico to up my game, Reagan. I got to the gym once this past week and didn’t make it at all the week before.”

“That’s not good, Sera,” he worried.

“Yeah, I know. What the…” I swallowed my need to snap and let out a slow breath. “Yell at Brian. I still want to as well, okay?”

“I’m sorry,” he said after several moments. I knew he wasn’t apologizing for what he said but more what I’d been going through. I appreciated that, bumping against him and letting him give my butt a little pat. He was sassier now that he was mine.

And was I all for it. Seriously.

I needed a break after thirteen miles and no one gave me crap about it. We were still doing a much faster pace than even human marathon runners could do. We were seriously flying, and I didn’t think anything faster was safe with Topher in the stroller.

Something I mentioned to Reagan, and he agreed but said he’d wanted to check it out without Topher in the stroller just to see how it held up.

“She’s right,” Orson said after checking out the stroller. “You spin the wheels too fast with that setup and they’re going to go flying off. I wouldn’t go any faster than we are. He’s human too and small. The doc said he’s old enough to use this thing now but yeah, let’s not give him too much of a thrill.”

“Good call,” several of us replied.

Topher let out a squeal, and I turned to see what he was so excited about right before the two dogs started barking. The owner looked horrified that his dogs were reacting like that and tried to apologize over the barking. Emilio darted over there to explain, and we gave a wave before jogging again.

Except I got an image from Topher that made me trip over my feet. Luckily, Carter caught me and asked if I was okay… Until he realized I was laughing.

I waved them off and kept jogging until we were away from the dogs. Then I moved in front of the stroller and squatted down so Topher could see me. He smiled brightly at me when he saw I was as well.

“Yes, buddy. That’s exactly how Mommy handles your dads. You got it right. Good job.” It was so damn hard not to laugh again when he gave an excited screech. I jogged backwards a bit and beamed at Reagan.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“Seriously, what?” he pushed.

“Topher and I were just having a moment.”

“Yeah, you’re more powerful, but I still know that was a lie. Tell me.”

“What do I get for it?” I teased.

“Nothing I can say in front of Topher,” he immediately responded. “So tell me.” After a moment he added a quick “please.”

Well, since he said please.

“Topher saw your wolf recently, right? You shifted for him?”

“Yeah,” Reagan hedged.

Emilio figured it out, bursting out laughing and not being quiet about it.

“Topher was wondering if I handled your wolf like those dogs,” I purred. “And I told him yes.”

“Like those dogs…” he muttered but then looked at me so fast his neck popped. “With a leash? And collar?”

“Yes.” I barely said it before taking off.

“Carter, guard Topher,” Reagan growled.

I didn’t get very far. He’d really been training and yeah, longer strides and all of that. I was also losing the battle to laugh.

He grabbed me around the waist and flipped me over his shoulder, giving my ass a smack when I burst out laughing. “I cannot believe you told Topher that.”

I found it even more amusing for some reason how all of the ancients were circled around Topher’s stroller. For a moment I ignored the threats and just had an image of the Secret Service protecting the president, and he was a baby most days so… Yeah, I laughed even harder, lost in my silly at this point.

Or stress. It probably wasn’t all that funny, but stress and the chance to have fun just comes gushing out sometimes.

Carter seemed to know where my head went because when Reagan set me on my feet, he glanced between me and the stroller a few times. We both shared a shrug and that was enough said.

“Tell him the truth,” Reagan growled.

“Dude, it is the truth,” Sander chuckled. “Don’t be stupid, stupid.”

“Agreed,” I purred. “Even if the leash isn’t visible, it’s there. Right?”

He spent a few moments trying to get his mouth to work, shocked how this got turned around on him. “Yes, jelly bean.”

“Damn right.” I pursed my lips for a kiss, and just to be a shit I sent Topher an image of me brushing Reagan and putting bows in his fur.

The little bugger loved it, giving a squeal.

“You just showed him something else, right?”

“Yup. You deserved it.”

“I don’t think I did,” he sighed, still giving me a wink to let me know he wasn’t really mad.

We finished our run, but I seriously had to get focused and put myself as a priority.

Fuck all the ducks.

21

Around lunch, I decided to stop by Noah’s since I had a few things we needed to go over. He normally took lunch at his place—which I needed to stop seeing as Vlad’s home—and used that hour to be his time-out from the crazy. I liked he put himself as a priority like that, and it was a chance to catch him that I wanted to take more often.

Except the outside guard was dead when we got there.

I was out of the SUV before my security could even stop me, practically tearing off the door to get to Noah. I found a vampire holding Noah’s broken arm behind him while obviously trying to get him to sign something else.

Yeah, not happening.

I changed my hand to a claw and tore out the guy’s throat. He and his people barely had time to register that they were in trouble before he was choking on his blood as it sprayed all over the place.

“Let them go!” I bellowed to the others holding Remus and several of Noah’s guys. I caught Noah when he started to slide to the floor, clearly in a lot of pain from whatever was done to him. I mashed my mouth to his and fed him power so he could heal.

The ancients had everyone not of the coven restrained when I glanced up. I helped Noah into a seat and knelt in front of him, rubbing his thigh as he groaned from his rapid healing.

“Thanks,” he whispered, rubbing his forehead.

“What happened?”

“They just fucking showed up,” he mumbled.

“Hey, stay with me. Do you need more energy?” I worried.

“No, it’s shock,” Carter muttered as he moved next to Noah. “Take some deep breaths.”

“We lost one of our guys, Sera,” Noah rasped, scrubbing his hand over his face too hard.

“I know,” I murmured as I hugged him. “I know. I’m so sorry.”

“He was just a kid.” He broke down quietly crying, letting me comfort him.

I glanced over at Remus and nodded when he did. Yeah, it was the first time someone in the coven had died since Noah had been in charge. Hell, since I had been the boss of their coven as well. I didn’t know the guy, but it still hurt my heart that one of our people had been killed.

Clearly, Noah did know the guy. Fuck.

“You cry over one pawn?” the idiot Emilio was holding hissed. “That’s why you shouldn’t lead. That’s why you’re nothing.”

“That’s why many of us follow him and are glad he’s our master,” Jake snapped. “You saw money and greed. We fucking told you no matter what Noah signed that Sera wouldn’t let this go. They care about us!”

Emilio knocked the vampire out and I looked to Jake for the answers since Noah needed a bit right then.

“They were just here, Sera,” Jake said, clearly shaken as well. “They’re old but—they could block.”

“He looks familiar,” Carter admitted, nodding behind me to the dead guy.

“We didn’t realize anything was wrong until we smelled the blood outside and knew the kid was dead,” Remus said sadly. “They came in, and he had some treaty that he wanted Noah to sign that he would be the new boss basically. It’s not even how we do things. You’re either in the coven and take out the crazy master like Noah did Vlad or—”

I growled and pulled out my phone, immediately connecting a call to Apollo. Carter tried to say something but wisely shut his mouth when I gave him a look not to be stupid.

“Did the council authorize some asshat to come take over Noah?” I demanded when the line was answered.

“Not to my knowledge, Mistress Seraphine, but let me get the councilman,” a voice said in broken English.

“You’re dead,” a different guy chuckled darkly. “You just killed Councilman Botelho’s protégé.”

I snorted. “You have no idea how many councilmen I’ve fucking killed or had killed for coming after me and mine. That asshole will just be next.”

“I hope I am not that asshole, Seraphine,” Apollo greeted in a tight voice. “The people with me are dying to know if I am and who would be so bold as to say that.”

“Not you,” I sighed. “I’d never—we’re friends.” I let out a slow breath and glanced at Carter. “Take pictures of these guys and send them to Apollo.”

“Of course. Go get some air before they rile you up more,” Carter suggested. “We’ve got Noah.”

“I’m fine, Sera,” Noah promised, lying through his fucking teeth.

Yeah, except the dead fledgling was out front, so I went up to the roof instead and told Apollo everything.

“Noah could have been killed if I hadn’t shown up,” I said to Apollo. “I’m fucking—what the fuck, you know?”

“I’m very sorry. Is he okay?”

“It’s the first guy that’s died now that he’s boss,” I whispered. “When he didn’t want to be the boss but did it for me. So no other vampire could hurt me.”

“Do not cry, young one,” he murmured.

I sniffled and wiped my eyes, more upset for Noah than for someone I didn’t know that died. “He was a fledgling. There was no need to kill him.” I nodded when Remus came up and put Apollo on speaker so he could hear the first-hand account. I thanked him and waited until he left. “One of the guys with the one trying to break Noah said—”

“I’m looking at the pictures Carter sent,” Apollo said in a tight voice. “He was made by Councilman Botelho several hundred years ago. Yes, he was Botelho’s protégé. I thought they had a falling out. I don’t remember all of the drama of all the council.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t either,” I sighed. I glanced at my phone when I got a new message and felt my stomach sour. “Fuck. Just fuck.”

“What now?”

“Noah sent two teams to help in Bolivia because the ancients couldn’t sneak out with FBI scrutiny. One of the guys admitted that’s why they picked now. Noah—I fucking came up with Bolivia, Apollo, and now a kid is dead. This is—it’s so fucking stupid. I hate this shit. I really do. I never wanted to be the boss like this.”

“None of the good leaders ever want to be, Seraphine. I did not want to either. I accepted my fate and so has Noah because we understand in our many years that the trade-off is better. You are still young.”

“Noah’s going to hate me.”

“No, no, he will not,” Apollo promised as if he was some sort of authority. “What do you need from me?”

I blew out a harsh breath, hearing him that he was in the middle of something. “I need permission to send these other fools to the shifter council facility now that the deal is done. I also want a call later with you, Enzo, this Councilman Botelho, and whoever else would be open to trying something out to help our people.”

“‘Something?’” he hedged.

“Yeah, I’m working on that part. Something to fix the bullshit and lies. I’m either a pushover or Enzo says people think I’m a monster in reality. Just enough. You know what I mean?”

“I will see who I can gather for such a call,” he said, his voice tight.

I didn’t reply right away. “I’m putting you in the middle. I’m sorry. As FBI I’m asking for the authorization. As Mistress over this coven, I’m saying a conversation is needed with Councilman Botelho. Could I get his number to handle that or—”

“No, I will. He… I will mediate on this. He is not the type to see one fledgling’s death be of concern, but you are not fixated on that—I will—I understand.”

“Sorry, Apollo.”

“You are too good of a friend to ever apologize for the tricky situations that we all have as leaders, Seraphine. I will schedule it and message you. And yes, you have the authorization. Please give Noah my condolences as well.”

I thanked him and we hung up before I headed downstairs.

Noah was handling what he needed to, doing a double take when he saw me standing there. He gave me a tight smile and came to me. “I’m never going to hate you, Sera. I won’t resent you for my choices. I own them. Yes, I did it for you, but for me—for all of us, okay? I’m sorry for the fledgling but…”

“What?” I asked.

“If anyone in the coven was going to be killed, he was the best one,” Remus muttered, sighing when people went tense around us. “I don’t take the death lightly. I don’t. The guy was tricked by a crazy bitch and regretted it. He just came here after Noah took over, and he wasn’t getting better. Honestly, we had him here most of the time to watch him.”

“He mostly asked me about how vampires could die,” Jake added. “We were trying to help him—I wish we could have.”

“I feel like it makes it worse that we didn’t,” Noah sighed, but then waved off what they were going to say. “What did Apollo say?”

I told him and asked he come over when things were cleaned up. Emilio and a few of the ancients could more than handle the vampires along with the people Noah called in.

Except that left the coven businesses short on staff.

I made some calls, and luckily we had people who were willing to jump in and take some extra shifts behind the scenes and make it work.

Haton said she’d send out a team and she was glad we were safe but sorry we lost one. There really wasn’t much to say. We’d all been there and knew the pain.

Harris came for the FBI side and handled getting rid of the body, writing up the report—all the covering our asses basically.

I arrived home with tons of shit food and not having talked to Noah about what I’d needed to. Dain was waiting with Topher, so clearly he’d been looped in. Hagan, Reagan, and Brian were all there as well with worried faces.

“I needed comfort food,” I muttered, holding up the bags of KFC that were enough to clog all of our arteries if we weren’t supes.

“Okay, well, if you don’t mind sharing, we can have our meeting about Topher and then handle this new issue,” Dain suggested.

“Yes to the first, but I’m fine on the second,” I replied, shocking them. “I need to figure this one out, okay? I feel like it’s right there, but—a lot has worked because of my weird brain and outside view. I think that’s what I need right now. So let’s eat and talk about Topher, and then I just want a bit of space before I jump in on the next… Whatever.”

“If that’s what you want, my love,” he agreed, the others nodding.

The dinner was mostly dinner and being together. It thrilled Topher, and he knew they were all focused on him, so he was living his best life. He understood something was going on with me but wasn’t upset, seeing it as if his dads were tagging in to help me.

The little bugger wasn’t wrong.

Dain’s replacement—who I hadn’t met—was at Quantico training, so soon he would be free of the FBI. I sighed when I realized everyone went quiet because my hand had changed into a claw and made a mark on my table.

“You’re upset you didn’t meet him first,” Dain figured out.

“No, it’s not my gig anymore,” I muttered but then realized I should specify. “Handling training and the trainers. It’s really fine.”

“It doesn’t really seem like that,” Hagan worried.

“Just salty about recent history and worried it’s going to repeat. I know you know the guy well. I’m fine. Stressed.”

Thankfully, they left it alone.

They also broke up areas of fun. Hagan was going to take the “Daddy and Me” swim class with Brian and Topher. Mostly to keep watch over Brian given he was new, understanding it had been Brian’s idea. But also because he wanted to.

Reagan and I were going to keep with the jogging at the lake fun.

Dain would keep working with the menu—but we all had input on that as well—and making sure Topher tried new things with all of us so he built those core memories. And not all with one person.

Done and done.

I actually didn’t eat that much and put away a lot of leftovers to reheat in the air fryer later. I changed into workout clothes and earbuds before heading for the stairwell.

I’d been on a lot of assignments when I couldn’t get to a gym or it wasn’t safe to just go for a run. There were a lot of constraints when undercover or working for the FBI since things were normally dangerous. That came into play a lot.

But there was always a damn stairwell or a way to have access to one. Either wherever I was staying or just… Yeah, stairs.

I picked a heavy playlist and jogged down before turning around and racing back up as fast and for as long as I could. I made it to the nineteenth floor before my lungs felt on fire, so I turned around and slowly jogged back down.

And then I went right back up for as long as I could at a sprinting pace. I didn’t make it as far, but I didn’t think I would. This was to burn extra energy and use it in a way besides beating the shit out of someone which was frowned upon.

Plus, illegal.

A text came in after my second set and the timing was perfect… If I could pull the idea out of my ass.

Or wherever the fuck my ideas really came from.

I managed several more sets before I had nothing left in me and I needed to get back to my apartment. Apollo had set up a call. That was the text. People were clearly being petty and giving me next to no notice. It was a tiny dick move that I was so used to that it didn’t even faze me.

Yeah, yeah, they offered the meeting, and if I couldn’t make it then it was all on me. No one would care it was last-minute and rude. I could get “hysterical” about it, and they would probably blame my hormones.

But if I pulled the same? Right, it would be my lack of leadership and another reason women shouldn’t be in charge.

People didn’t understand that sexism wasn’t simply the shit that came out of people’s mouths but how badly the deck was stacked most times.

Still, I was used to it, so I gave zero shits as I walked into my apartment. Carter snorted, understanding I didn’t care and it didn’t bother me. That was why we got along so well. He didn’t either. Even when Enzo had tried to demean him, he’d shrugged it off or mocked it.

The bullshit only worked if we let it affect us.

And we were better than that.

Most days.

No one was perfect.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and moved into view of the webcam that was now set up on my TV for video conferences. I swallowed a sigh when Apollo appeared on my TV because it was only Apollo.

Except he wouldn’t have pulled something last-minute on me.

“I assume others are off camera?” I checked.

“Yes,” he said with a smirk. “Did we interrupt your workout?”

“No, that was earlier. This was getting out some aggression. Is Councilman Botelho present?”

“I am,” a voice said from off camera. “Let me start—”

“Is someone there who is verifying that the truth is being told?” I asked Apollo. “Willing to throw down if it comes to it that people aren’t giving me bullshit?”

“Yes, the head of the council is here for that very reason,” Apollo assured me.

“Well, thank him for that. I know we’re all too busy, but I appreciate him taking this matter seriously.” I took a long gulp and let out another slow breath. “Let me start by saying this isn’t about the death of one fledgling I didn’t even know.”

“It’s your honor,” Apollo offered.

I bounced that around, even moving my head a bit. “More like honoring a promise. I promised the supes of Chicago I would protect them. First, the pack when I took over but then the coven when Noah took over and they came under my umbrella. I swore to protect them and today someone made me a fucking liar and I don’t lie about my godsdamn promises.”

“It’s commendable that one so young takes her word so seriously in this day and age,” Enzo said from off camera.

“I grew up in too much chaos and realized early that the only thing I could truly have control over was my word.” I took another gulp and adjusted my neck when my wolf wanted to pace. “So I’m assuming this wasn’t sanctioned. You wouldn’t be as calm as you are if anyone on the council was really stupid enough to try and pull shit that would have me or Eva at your door.”

“Correct,” Apollo said firmly.

“The way I see it, Councilman Botelho made some offhand comment about a stupid wolf being in charge of too much and not worthy of being a Mistress and I should go back to sniffing asses or being a whore, right? That’s the normal bluster that a fucking moron would take as a lead-in to try and invade or be greedy and like no one would care?”

Apollo cleared his throat. “They were on the outs and from what Emilio has told us, the belief was to take over Chicago’s coven, and smacking you back to your pack would make us happy. It would win them the chance to get back in Botelho’s good graces.”

Right, I called that one.

“Got it. So first, we’re going to fix that. Loudly.”

He frowned. “Fix what?”

“That perception he’s given.” I sighed when Apollo seemed confused. “I don’t fucking care if the guy hates me. So fucking what? He’s not my favorite person either. But you know what I haven’t done?”

“You have not said that around the ears of idiots,” Dubois said, catching on first.

“Exactly. So we’re going to fix this misstep before more people die.” I plowed through when I heard mutterings of arguing. “Or I get on the phone with my grandma and say I’m tired of being bullied by the council and they don’t know how to handle themselves. That they run their mouths and give people hints to come after me. How would she react?”

“We would no longer have mouths to speak on you,” one said from off screen.

Apollo snorted. “Or heads.”

“Pretty much,” I agreed.

“That’s overkill,” someone bitched.

“No, it’s not if you’re not even willing to fix this when I am and I didn’t do it. You were supposed to protect that fledgling too. You guys failed today too. So we’re going to be better leaders for tomorrow and protect our damn people.”

“What is your idea, Seraphine?” Dubois asked from off camera.

“It’s simple. You are.” I chuckled when Carter and Apollo had matching expressions of shock. “Or what you’ve done is. One of your teams is here for a paid vacation. They’re handling something for you and supes, but it’s not their normal duty and restrictions. That’s what I’m proposing. Councilman Botelho sends a team of trusted ancients for a work-study program.”

I swallowed a sigh when Apollo was still frowning, clearly needing me to spell it out for the idiots.

“Look, they did this when Noah sent help to Bolivia. We’re spread too thin helping people. If you sent a team for a couple of weeks who won’t start shit, they get a break. They can sit at the club and have good food and enjoy Chicago’s nightlife with our awesome blood blends. And they take a spot Emilio or Orson normally does so they can help somewhere else.

“Or sit in the lobby of Noah’s hotel and let people see that one of Councilman Botelho’s people is visiting, so clearly the shit he thinks I’m a dumb shifter is wrong because his people wouldn’t be here if that was true. Right? I mean, that would be silly. They can have a night at Noah’s clubs as well. Other supe businesses and get a break from the council life.”

No one said anything for a few minutes at least.

“That’s it?” Apollo finally checked.

“Yes,” I chuckled, rubbing my forehead as my migraine started. “Perception is reality. We know that. So make it known some of his people are vacationing here and I trust him not to pull shit—a very key part of this that he better fucking not—and we’re good. Our people are good. Then the next group comes from whoever ran his mouth about me as well because we know there’s a line.

“We’re going to make this shtick stop. Can we completely squash it all? No. But we’re going to do a bit of PR work, and people will stop talking out of their asses about a woman halfway across the fucking world from them that they’ve never fucking met or I’m going to start losing my fucking temper.”

“You’re getting a migraine,” Carter cut in, tossing me a bottle of pills.

I easily caught them and shot him a glare, knowing he was trying to chill me out. But he shouldn’t have in front of them. He was explaining why I was getting more aggressive, but they also deserved it. “I can’t imagine why?”

He nodded he understood and held up his hands in surrender.

I took my pills with several long gulps, finishing the water bottle and tossing both back to Carter. I clapped my hands together and then rubbed them like I was excited. “Do we have a deal, gentlemen, or am I getting on the phone with my grandmother to tell her what’s going on? I think she made it rather clear what she would do if something like this happened, yes?”

“Very much so,” Dubois chuckled. “I would suggest a contract of rules also be drawn up. You would do this on good faith and not be petty, but we know that’s not true for everyone here.”

I sighed. “How can people so old be so childish? I’m not going to punish his vampires who are here on vacation and helping us keep invading assholes away because their boss made a slip. What would they really do? Have an ancient vampire destroy a hotel room because I called them on their shit? Seriously? Does no one else see how sad that is?”

“I was thinking of having an accident at the bottling plant,” Dubois muttered.

“Oh, they’d be dead,” I chuckled darkly. “That’s not being petty. That’s a fucking crime and helps a lot of vampires in my areas. I’d kill for that shit.”

Someone cleared their throat off camera. “I think maybe a list of rules just so our people know how to behave and not risk angering you.”

I opened my mouth to say that I wasn’t a psycho but took Carter’s advice when he made an “X” with his arms and left it alone. Fine, let them think I was scary instead of a blonde bimbo.

Why were there only those two options for a woman in power?

Seriously?

I mean… Seriously?

At least they fucking agreed. Eight of them.

That was a start. For now.

A start that would help keep my people safe, so I would gratefully take it.

22

Councilman Botelho was smart and took things a step further by making a big deal that his former protégé was an idiot. He made himself look more the hero that he was smart to cut off someone unhinged, but I don’t care. I truly don’t as long as it protects my people.

And his people were angels. Honestly, they were, and even their thoughts were polite and grateful that they got a break from the council. I was completely sincere when I said they could vacation in Chicago anytime they wanted.

The next group arrived from Councilman… I forgot. They’re nice too. Hesitant. That’s fine. We like hesitant and smart.

But at least people are hearing me that I’m over a lot of the stupid shit. I know it won’t last, it never does, but I have to try.

On the topic of trying to do better, I figured out how to handle Phobie’s desire for me to be on my plane. The lunch thing was a lot of pressure. Fine, it should have just been lunch with my husband and son, but having others around when I’m stressed or doing something that makes me feel uncomfortable is stressful.

That doesn’t really help.

So I just go on my own. I’ve been using it as a second office when I have piles of paperwork that I need to get through… And I have more of those than normal which is astounding. It’s been going well though.

And not just for me. I offered the ADA who came to dinner to use it, and apparently he had the same idea. We were both shocked when I came with coffee and a box of shit to go through and he was sitting there doing the same.

Honestly, I think that’s helped us more than anything any therapist could say or advice given. We aren’t alone. I’m not the only one struggling. I knew that. I knew I wasn’t the only one afraid to fly.

Seeing it affect someone else I know is different. It’s helped.

Oddly enough, it’s helped a lot and I think for him too.

So, I’m working hard on moving past my past… And on more than my fear of flying. On Jeremy Baig as well.

Jason had given me a folder months ago with some proof that we weren’t as alike as I had thought. It was a few sealed juvie records of Jeremy’s showing he’d gotten in some trouble.

Whereas I was in the camp of making a bully choke on me if they were going to beat me up, Jeremy went back at them later with a bat.

Or knife.

Or a few other things when they were alone.

Wrong? Yes, 100%.

Proof he was a psycho? No. And probably something people pushed on him to be a “man” and stand up for himself where they wouldn’t say the same to me as a woman.

But, it was proof we were different in a fundamental way.

I still believed that Jeremy got a rough hand dealt to him and was unfairly pushed into his ending. I still believe I’m fucking lucky I didn’t get the same.

I just don’t think I would have turned out the same if I had. Phobie said that’s amazing. I finally brought it all up to her, and she was really and truly impressed I had worked all of that out on my own. She said that was a sign of real progress in my learning how to process and heal emotionally on my own.

Yay me? I understood what she was trying to say, but it felt like… Condescending? Almost like a pat on the head I could be normal one day?

Yeah, nothing is easy or perfect.

Andrew Murray is going away for a long, long time. He had dirt on everyone. Getting dirt isn’t the illegal part.

Using magic on them to make them confess to it all is. Most were law enforcement and public officials. There are laws against that specifically because we knew secrets. Lots of them.

There were protections for the average person as well. Of course, there were, but it was a much bigger and more illegal deal when used against law enforcement and public officials. That alone would keep him locked up in the council prison for the rest of his life.

Thank. Fucking. Gods.

Seriously.

If I never saw Andrew Murray again, it would be too soon.

More good news about people going to prison? Detective Vang from CPD’s gang unit that had been dirty. His day in court came and went, and when he saw how the trial was going, he took a plea deal.

So did the judge who let the cartel buy him. He’s getting a few decades for all of his crimes. I felt damn good about all of that especially after all the bullshit Vang was telling everyone who would listen that none of my arrests stuck.

Something Director Ferguson also said a bit too often apparently. I made it known to Galvin that I would like that situation rectified. He’s not happy with me still, but the feeling is mutual, so at least he can do his damn job and protect me.

I do have the highest closed case rate in the damn FBI after all.

But with Vang, the judge, that ATF agent, some other dirty cops going to prison, and assholes in Chicago know that murder will be punished again. We actually had a good start to the year, and the murder rate was dropping the first few months of 2017… Until thirty-three were added from a serial killer.

Yeah, that messed lots of everything up.

Alec Gathoni and his angelic crusade got pushed to the back of every news cycle after the illegal gambling tsunami in DC. I was glad he wasn’t getting the attention he so clearly craved, but it hurt that his victims didn’t get a bit more coverage. Apparently, none of them were nice people, but they didn’t deserve to die.

Otherwise, we’d all be dead any day we were pissy and rude.

There’s no deal on the table for Alec. He wants the attention of going to court and the DA wants the max punishment, so I’ll be testifying at that circus whenever it happens. That’s part of the job. I’m just glad the bodies were found and the families were able to know what happened to their loved ones.

Or not so loved ones like the abused wife, but at least she can live in peace now knowing her husband’s gone.

The Bratva gambling hall that got raided is the gift that keeps on giving. It wasn’t just the people who were picked up that day, but many others that were implicated later. It got to the point where the jokes all over late-night TV and social media were asking for the list of who didn’t go to the place since that list would be shorter.

I was seriously glad I wasn’t involved in that crazy.

It’s a huge mess and the FBI had to get involved there. The initial raid was DC police, but so much was found that it all came to the regular FBI, DC division. They have to play nice and politics too often.

Whereas I get right into things and threaten people with my super scary adopted grandmother. So yeah, I’m not built for DC.

On the bright side, Enzo is sure that the money paid to the PIs who illegally tailed me will be traced back to Ferguson now that he’s being investigated, and that will get him thrown in the council prison. I hope so, but I’m not holding my breath for it.

Everything is also going well in Bolivia.

Really well.

There wasn’t remotely as much pushback as there had been for Iran because people were tired of the crazy and just ready for any hope of something different. Plus, the international community saw how much better vampires in charge of Iran were for the country and the world.

So yeah, a lot of people have hope for Bolivia and that region.

Myself include.

What I don’t have hope for? Russia. Always fucking Russia.

Alpha Oleg is up to more schemes and trying to milk us for more money to get shifters—prey shifters especially—out of Russia. Eugene is handling a lot of that with the council since he has such an axe to grind with Oleg as well, but I’m tired of the dancing and setting of traps. It’s time to just bring the hammer down.

And when that comes from someone who spent most of her career in the FBI going undercover, you know people are dicking around.

Still, it’s part of why I made the push with the vampire council to loudly state we’re friends. I need it because I want to bring more prey shifters to safety. Yes, it’s become a big cause for me… But shouldn’t it be? We can do it. We can help them.

Why is that a bad thing? I don’t think it is and even if it’s a bit obsessive, at least it’s obsessive to do some good.

So just like always, we’ve had a lot of good, but also some bad, and we’re still dicking around with Oleg. At least there is that way to get shifters out.

Another bad thing was Tristan getting kicked out of Iran and not allowed to return. What did he do to deserve that and piss off Bijan so bad?

He’d tried to kill me when we’d met.

Yeah, really.

Bijan hadn’t known the history between us or how we’d met. He’d only known that Tristan had been my lover and while things were over, we weren’t at odds, so he was welcomed… Until Tristan said something to one of Bijan’s people in an offhand comment and was asked to explain himself. Then Bijan found out and tossed him.

Yikes.

I thought it was overkill when I didn’t hold the grudge against Tristan, but others thought I should. Reagan and Hagan especially were very careful what they said about Tristan given they came into my life when I was with him. They’ve said their piece, and leave it alone.

But I think the men in my life all agree with Carter and that I was never going to have a true love story with a man who’d tried to kill me.

Fair enough.

So Tristan is heading to Bolivia to see if he can help out there from what I know. I’m not his keeper. I wish him the best, but I don’t want him in my life.

Oh, and apparently the president broke campaign finance laws to pay off a porn star he had an affair with so she didn’t tell anyone before he was elected. He also bought several stories to kill them and something, something, with something was illegal in the way he did that.

No, I’m not kidding. It sounds abso-fucking-lutely insane and like it should be in a movie or soap opera. Honestly, if I saw it in a movie I would say it was too out there to ever be real and a stupid commentary on corruption, but our leaders wouldn’t ever be that bad.

And I would have been completely wrong. Who would have thought the real world would be that damn crazy?

I probably should have given I’ve gone undercover with weapons dealers and have been on dozens of murder investigations now. It still shocked me big time.

Those huge to-be-read piles of fiction novels are getting more and more appealing to me. Maybe I really just need a time-out from the real world and to spend some time in fantasy where things aren’t as bizarre. Part of me is afraid I would want to stay there if I got started.

Would anyone blame me?

The End

THANK YOU for reading this book!!

Thank you so much for reading the next book in Seraphine. I woves all of you lots for your support and wanting more of my books. Please, please leave a review. It really helps me out to know which series people are eager for. I appreciate the time it takes!

I know there was politics in this one, but it was the driving force I needed. The next book we will veer off the “reality” timeline again, I promise. That’s all of the spoilers I’ll give you guys. 😉

I hope you enjoy another extra scene from one of the guy’s perspectives. I did it for Brian when Sera went missing, but this was a lot more fun. I think I’m going to continue doing it. I love Dain a lot but he hangs in the background more because he’s so locked down and this helps to see their relationship from a different side. So just for fun, I’ll add them when I have the ideas.

Thank you again to everyone who has backed off demanding next books and what’s next!! Just know I’m working hard and will announce what’s coming when it is.

Happy spring and I hope the weather evens out for all of us so we can enjoy it.

All my best,

Erin

And Vader

Extra Scene

My wife was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen over my hundreds of years. From the moment I’d seen her at Queen Laila’s court she’d captivated me. I was the moth to her flame and that hadn’t changed.

It had gotten worse even. It wasn’t only her looks that drew me in, and the reality was I was obsessed with Sera.

And I didn’t care if that was over the top or unhealthy.

I felt the mood change in the large ballroom and knew she’d arrived. Men were turned on and women pissed that their dates or partners were distracted, but that was always what happened when my breathtaking wife walked into a room.

Glancing over my shoulder, my heart beat faster as my eyes drank in her beauty. She was wearing the one-shoulder light blue satin dress that I’d picked out for her. It was formfitting but didn’t show any of her ample cleavage, only the curves of her. It went down to her calves besides a high slit up her left thigh that was better than I’d expected with her toned legs.

She had on silver strappy heels that would make us the same height and showed off her perfect feet. She hated them, thinking they were too big, but I loved her feet. I loved every part of her.

Her long, thick blonde hair was curled and in an updo someone had handled for her. She had on the bracelet from Brian, silver hoop earrings, and his engagement ring… Which made me frown. My wife had no jewelry from me that she could wear to an event with me.

That was a mistake I needed to remedy immediately, and I was ashamed of myself for ever letting that be the case.

Her eyes lit up as she saw me, smiling as she quickly walked towards me. She was flustered because she was late, her cheeks without makeup but blushing. “Hi, sorry. I’m so sorry I’m late.”

I accepted her kiss to my cheek and pressed my lips to her ear. “It’s fine. You’ll make it up to me tonight, right? Just us?”

I heard her heart pick up as she caught onto my meaning. She leaned away and gave me a shy smile, nodding in agreement. All she had seen—all we had experienced together, and my wife was still so innocent in so many ways that it thrilled me.

And hurt me. Most of it stemmed from her years of abuse and being unloved, and that killed me.

“You are the most beautiful woman to ever have graced this place, my love,” I said quietly before giving her a soft kiss.

“You look very handsome in your tux,” she praised, her cheeks blushing more at the praise. “Is everything okay so far?”

“You’re only fifteen minutes late.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said again.

That wasn’t why I’d brought it up, and I explained that I meant she hadn’t missed much. I slid my arm around her waist and decided to jump right in. The event was a fundraiser, but it was all politics for Chicago. It was all the city council and elected positions.

The mayor hadn’t hidden the fact that he wanted to run for the senate in the next few years and most wanted to take his place. But my wife had said she wanted me to.

So I would. If Sera wanted me to be mayor, I would be. It was that simple to me.

Plus, I actually thought it would be good for the supe community and our family. I could do a lot from that position and protect our family.

I could do a lot for Chicago too.

But that meant jumping into politics more than I had and making it clear that the position would be mine, so people had better get behind me… And not in my way if they were smart.

Deciding to start off with a bang, I found one of the women in the room who had the most anger directed towards Sera and brought my wife right to her. To most that would be the person to avoid and a problem they wouldn’t want to risk.

They didn’t know Sera and how amazing she was.

“Your makeup is flawless,” Sera complimented the woman, truly meaning it and studying her closely. “Did you have it professionally done?”

The woman blinked at her a moment, clearly shocked she was so forward and asked. “Oh, no, I did it myself.”

“Wow, you’re really good,” Sera muttered, leaning in a bit more. “Your eyeliner is completely symmetrical and—how do you do that without any smudges? I can’t ever—I try to start small and then mess up one side and the next thing I know my whole eyelid is eyeliner. I always get so annoyed, wipe it all off, and just give up.”

I introduced us and chuckled when Sera apologized for being rude, but she won over the woman, both of them talking about makeup and Sera diligently listening to the woman’s secrets.

And then she did it again with someone else, having no idea that the woman hated her for being beautiful or something else petty. My wife ignored all of that and was simply herself and won people over by being genuine.

We were on the fourth couple when Sander had to interrupt and said she had a call, holding her cell.

“I’m so sorry, it’s the Miami office,” she apologized. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”

“Don’t rush, my love,” I forgave. “Your work is important.” I was rewarded with a winning smile, and she hurried off to take it somewhere without so many ears.

“She’s quite the woman,” the man praised, looking at Sera’s ass longer than was polite and in a way that made me pity his wife.

“Sera’s very dedicated to her work,” I said, giving the wife a soft smile.

“But she definitely wears the pants in your relationship,” he pushed, smirking at me.

It took everything I had to keep my anger in check. I pictured making my sword appear and sticking it in the asshole’s chest for trying to demean my wife, but instead I simply chuckled easily. “While I’d look lovely in a skirt, we both wear what we want and support each other.”

“As it should be,” his wife said, shooting her husband a look like he would regret it if he said more.

He wasn’t as stupid as I thought and shut up. He muttered something about them needing another drink and they walked off, but he wasn’t the last to run his mouth.

I listened to bile around me for hours, mostly about Sera and the only thing that kept me sane was that she didn’t catch it. Her senses were probably better than mine she was so powerful, but she was too young to hone them in large, crowded places like we were.

She was the focus of the night, that was for sure. I understood it for the most part, my eyes never leaving her as well, but in a way no other there would pay attention to. Like I knew her feet hurt from the heels she wanted to take off. And she wished she could get out of the dress and into something more comfortable.

All the people around were overstimulating her. She was close to hitting her limit, and if I let her stay another thirty minutes it could trigger a migraine.

Of course, I wouldn’t let it get to that, but I paid attention to see she was getting too close. I also knew she was hungry, both for food and her siren. The event didn’t have enough real food for her, and since her last power jump, she had only been feeding like she had before and it was time for her to feed more.

I decided to kill two birds with one stone and texted Simone to see if we could pick up some food from the club since we were right there, and Sera could feed from the extra vampire security always hanging out that had access to the free blood. She said it worked out perfectly because she needed to talk to Sera, and I made it clear she had only a few minutes while Sera ate.

I didn’t need to spell it out more than that.

Relief filled Sera’s eyes when I said it was time to head out and we made our goodbyes. I could feel her worry after we got in the SUV that she had messed up or I was embarrassed with her. She was always scared people were embarrassed with her. Her parents had always been and called her a problem, so she defaulted to that.

“You were amazing, my love,” I praised, nodding when she shot me a hesitant look. “You shined and I was honored you were my date.”

“It’s not bad when I don’t have to be the focus,” she said easily, but I knew the truth and she hated those sorts of events. She navigated them better when she wasn’t the focus, but she really didn’t like them.

Unless she was undercover busting bad guys.

She ate plates in the kitchen in between feeding from the very willing vamps and talking to Simone. The panther was shooting me amused looks as I watched over my wife, clearly knowing I had something planned and Sera was oblivious to that. Once everything was settled and my wife was full, we headed back to her apartment.

I shot the ancients a look not to even think about inviting themselves and was glad when they all wished us a good night. The moment we stepped off the elevator, I swooped Sera up in my arms, biting back a smile at her cute yelp in surprise.

“Your feet hurt, my love.”

“I’m fine,” she argued, chuckling when I set her down at her door. She unlocked it and let me inside, but the moment we were, I closed the door behind us and locked it… And pushed her up against it.

“Do you love me?”

She didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“How much?” I pushed.

She studied me a moment. “Lots. I love you a lot, Dain.”

I nodded, taking her work bag from her and setting it on the table by the door. I moved back to her and inhaled deeply as I eyed her over. Then I pulled up my pants legs and squatted down to take off her heels.

She sighed in relief when she was standing in her bare feet on the cool wood floor. Then I used my magic to call the pins in her hair to me so it fell around her face in luscious curls that made me want to groan she looked so fucking sexy.

“Thanks,” she whispered. “Finding all of them is always such a damn pain.”

I nodded and ran my fingers over the neckline of her dress. “Will you still love me if we have to go to events like that all of the time?”

“Of course,” she chuckled nervously. But she wouldn’t want to. That much was clear.

“Would you still love me if I was selfish with you tonight?”

“Yes, because I was late,” she teased, but then slowly lost her smile when I met her gaze. She swallowed loudly, understanding something was going on with me. “Yes.”

“I want my wife to give me everything I need tonight.” I licked my lips at her shiver. At first, she’d been so scared at my calling her my wife, but she shivered when I used the fairy word for it. I didn’t even think she realized that did it, but it was like fucking catnip to me.

“Okay.”

“Would you still love me if I was rough with you?”

“Yes.”

I leaned in until our lips almost touched. “What if I was rough fucking your ass?”

“Yes, I would still love you, Dain.”

“Even if I go too far when you deep-throat me?”

“Yes.”

“I slap your ass?”

“Yes.”

“Slap your pussy?”

She swallowed loudly. “Yes.”

“Your face?”

“Yes.”

I pulled back my hand and brought it in fast but stopped in time, tracing my fingers down her cheek, shocked she hadn’t even flinched. “I could never hit my wife when in my right mind. It kills my soul that dark magic ever forced me to.”

“I know, and I still love you.”

“What would make you stop loving me?” I asked without even meaning to. It was a completely knee-jerk reaction and some sort of morbid curiosity on my part.

But her answer was immediate. “Abandoning me.”

I slowly blinked at her. She was telling me the truth. I could see that easily and felt it from her emotions. That was the only way this goddess of a woman would ever stop loving me. I could abuse her, and she still would, but if I ever abandoned her, she would fall out of love with me.

Well, again. If I ever abandoned her again, she would.

“I would never leave you, my wife. Only in death, and I would still haunt you and never leave you.”

“That’s creepy and depressing,” she whispered. “How about you just never die on me, and we can be happy?”

“I’ll do my best.” I licked my lips and ran my fingertips over her face again. “Anything I want tonight?”

“Yes.”

“What if I wanted to demand my wife always give me what I need?”

Pain filled her gaze. “Is there something I’m not doing that you need? I mean—are you, um, unsatisfied?”

“I’m a very satisfied man now that I’m welcome back in your bed,” I promised. “I meant something else. I want you to promise that no matter what is going on between us, that if I say we need to put it on pause and I need my wife, you’ll do it.”

Hurt filled her eyes. “Okay.”

Part of me wanted to push her further and bully her almost. That dark part of me that had been hurt so many times wanted to push her too far and test her. But the side of me that was so in love with her that I ached for Sera couldn’t let her be hurt.

“It’s not about the sex, my love,” I whispered against her lips. “There are emotions only felt during sex that can help pain. You know this now that you’ve experienced it with Jonik.”

Understanding filled her eyes. “Okay, I promise.”

But she didn’t want to. She was leery of giving that blank check, but still she did it because she loved me. Amazing.

“I want to be all of me with you,” I told her gently. “And tonight my darkness needs an outlet. There were too many assholes there, and I’ve been feeling on edge. Tell me you can handle it. You begged me to show this side of myself to you before.”

She gave me a look not to be stupid. “I can handle it and still love you after, Dain. I’m not an idiot. I know you’re testing and challenging me. Hi, I invented that with all my issues. Fine, dish it out. I’m giving you the green light to do what you need, okay?”

“Okay.” I smirked at her. “Then why aren’t you naked for your husband and on your knees?”

She blinked at me a moment and then the dress was gone. She wore a strapless bra that looked uncomfortable and cheeky panties that made me harder for her. She lost those too and slowly sank to her knees.

I about creamed myself when my wife simply opened her mouth and gave me a look of love.

This was one of the many reasons I was so obsessed with her. Seriously.

I slid my left hand in her hair and fisted it, smirking when she gasped at the move. “Is this what you wanted to do after all of those men stared at you tonight with desire? Did you want to come home and suck your husband’s cock?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I love him and I’m a good wife?” It came out more a question, but I knew she was trying to be more confident than she felt.

“You are,” I praised as I lowered my fly and pulled out my leaking dick. I pulled her onto it and wasn’t gentle with her. “All of you is mine.” My heart soared when she hummed in agreement and sucked harder. “Swallow.”

She did, every fucking drop and moaned like it was the best thing ever and she wanted more. Not because she did, but because she knew it would fucking kill me and it did.

“Would you do that again if I wanted you to?”

“Yes,” she panted, her eyes glazed over with desire. “All night. All tomorrow. Forever if it was what you needed, Dain.”

I yanked her up and pressed my body against her. “Why?”

“Because I’m your wife and I love you,” she swore. She let out a yelp when I picked her up and brought her over to the living room. I sat her on the plush chair on the side of the sectional and then spread her legs wide so they were over the arms. “I love you, Dain.”

“I love you more than you could ever understand, Sera,” I told her in a darker tone than I wanted to, letting her see how obsessed I was with her even. I didn’t want her to focus on it though and back on the sex. I chuckled when I saw she was dripping. “My wife is something else. She drips from sucking her husband’s cock. Such an amazing wife.”

“I like making you happy,” she whispered, her cheeks flushing bright red.

I shoved three fingers into her pussy. “Is this mine?”

“Yes.”

“Is all of you mine?”

“Yes, Dain.”

I eyed her over and thanked my lucky stars that she was. I stopped on her flat stomach and moved my other hand to it as I kept pumping my fingers.

“You will give me another child, Sera.” I ignored her gasp and met her gaze, letting her see I wasn’t kidding. “Not biologically, but I want our son to have a sibling one day. I want to see your stomach round with a child and then to see it feed at your breast. You will bear me another child.”

She swallowed loudly. “Okay, when it’s safe.”

My heart soared even as I knew I was a rat bastard. She would do it for me because she loved me, not because she wanted to be a mother. But she was an amazing mother, and the world would lose out if she didn’t have more children, children of her own and not only adopted.

I moved my hand faster and flicked her clit with my thumb. “I will pick the wolf to stand in for me. Not Hagan or Reagan’s child. Not Eugene’s. Someone else that can be for us.” I bared my teeth at her when she didn’t agree.

But then I felt small when I saw the desire in her eyes gone and wetness start to gather.

I pulled my fingers from her and lowered my forehead to hers. “I’m sorry, my love. I’m sorry.”

“I can’t promise you something that could hurt others,” she whispered.

“I know. I know and you shouldn’t.” I gave her a soft kiss, glad when she let me and responded. “I don’t even know if that’s how I feel. I feel…”

“You’re going through something,” she accepted. “But you do want a baby.”

“Yes. I never thought I would—”

“But you were born to be a dad,” she said quietly. “I know that. I see it. You love Topher so much and—I see it.”

“Do you hate me for changing my mind?”

“No,” she said firmly. “No, not at all.”

“But you haven’t.”

She didn’t answer right away, giving me a soft kiss instead. “I’m not as against it as I used to be. My wolf wants it. I think I’m less scared I would be a disaster as a mom and more scared about having my kid be a supe in this world. I think that’s where I’m at.”

“You are an amazing mother and it’s made me fall deeper in love with you,” I admitted, nodding when she couldn’t hide her shock. “That’s part of my pushing. I think you were born to be a mother too, but I agree it’s still too dangerous. But one day.”

“One day.”

I felt her fear though and left it alone. I stood and told her not to move before undressing, then I teased her pussy. “You will not finish. Tonight is about my wife pleasing me and my being selfish.”

“I’ll do my best,” she replied after a moment. “But I love my husband and my body does as well. You’re too fucking good at pleasing me, so I can’t see me not finishing, but I’ll try if that’s what you want.”

No. No that wasn’t what I wanted at all. I wanted her spoiled every second of every hour of every fucking day.

I thrust in her body as hard and fast as possible, taking the air from her lungs and causing her pain since she was too tight for my size still. But she fucking loved it. Her head fell back and she moaned deeply. I grabbed her hair and demanded she kept my gaze as I thrust in her harder and harder until I finished deep inside of her.

And she didn’t come. The shock on her face that she didn’t was enough to make me chuckle.

But I was still selfish with her. I brought her to the table and pushed her down, fucking her at a punishing pace while telling her that her body was the best I’d ever had. I finished inside of her again… And she didn’t.

I moved her to the swing in her locked “office” and then used her own juices to push in her ass rougher than she liked. But I fucking loved it. I’d never had anal sex better than that night with my wife and her whimpers that it was too much for her.

“That was more than you liked, but you’ll let me do it again because you love me that much,” I said in her ear.

“As many times as you want,” she moaned as I rocked my hips. “Fuck me as many times as you want, however you want, Dain. I’ll still love you.”

So I did. I fucked her ass again until I knew she’d be tender the next day even with her rapid healing. Then I fucked her ass a third time in a different position. I had planned for that to be the end, but when I was cleaning her up in the bathroom, she smirked at me and said the wrong damn thing.

“How dark is your dark side if I’m still conscious? You didn’t even fuck me unconscious like others have,” my amazing wife taunted.

I threw her on the bed and pulled her to the edge of it before slamming in her pussy and pounding into her body until I finished in her again. Then I turned her on her side and screwed her silly.

Then the other side for good measure.

“I never thought you would really fuck my brains out and not let me finish,” she mumbled when I finished that time.

“How do you know it’s me?” I chuckled.

“I’ve been almost there a million times and something stops me like magic,” she drawled. “I figured you had the power to push me over by wishing for something. It makes sense you could do the opposite.”

Yes, yes, I could but never had.

I moved her onto her back and wrapped her legs around me as I plunged back into my wife’s exhausted but willing body. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you, Dain.”

“Again,” I growled.

She chanted it the whole time I made love to her. I wanted this time to last forever, but she was truly exhausted, and I knew that would win out soon and I couldn’t let her go all night without any pleasure. I kissed her and wished for her to finish, watching as my wife had the mother of all orgasms. It was so good and big it caused her pain, her body doing crazy things around mine.

I climaxed inside of her while she was still riding her fun, but then she passed out. Her body was still orgasming even after she’d blacked out.

I had a feeling she wouldn’t be complaining about my darkness even if some of it wasn’t what she liked best.

After cleaning her up, I tucked her into bed and laid down next to her but with my phone. It bothered me that my wife didn’t have a single item of jewelry from me. She wasn’t big into jewelry, but it still wasn’t acceptable. Not when I loved her as I did.

She flinched in her sleep and I knew she was having a nightmare. I could sense her fear and hurt. Someone hit her in her dreams, and it killed me that she had such a horrible past that most of her nights were filled with bad instead of good.

“Don’t think of the past, my love,” I whispered in her ear. “Think of the bright future we have instead.” I smiled when she relaxed and her emotions settled before she snuggled closer.

Another hour of scrolling my phone and Google and I found what I wanted. I focused my magic and made a pretty necklace with a single black pearl pendant appear. I put it on Sera’s neck and settled down to sleep with my wife.

The next morning, I woke her with a kiss and then oral sex before I made love to her. It was in the middle of that she realized something was around her neck. After we finished, I carried her to the bathroom and let her see it in the mirror.

“One day that necklace will be full of black pearls,” I said quietly as I moved my hand over hers on the counter. “I have that much darkness inside of me, but you showed me that it’s okay and something beautiful can come of it. We shared something amazing last night that meant the world to me and made me feel deeper for you. That’s what I see now instead of my flaws.”

“I still love you, Dain,” she whispered, giving me a look in the mirror that made it clear it was the truth.

“I will forever love you, Sera,” I swore to her.

And yes, I made love to my wife again. Always again. I would never get enough of her and would always want her more.

That was the best part of an obsession.

Find A New Series To Love…

Accidentally Wolf: Seraphine Thomas 1

Gives New Meaning To Workplace Injury

Special Agent in Charge, Seraphine Thomas, lives for her job at the FBI. One of the youngest female agents with her own team, she thrives in undercover work to make the city she loves safer. But Sera’s on-track life is thrown into chaos when she’s attacked during a bust gone bad and is left figuring out what it means to be a werewolf.

Right away, she learns that she’s more powerful and able to do things that she shouldn’t be able to do so quickly after her transition. The rules of her old life don’t seem to apply to much now that she’s a shifter, and knowing who she can trust is even more complicated.

When she’s transferred to a special branch of the FBI made up of paranormals policing others of their kind and given a promotion, things start looking up—until her abnormal level of power creates a list of enemies for her before she’s even learned who her allies are.

Upended Life: Artemis University 1

My name is Tamsin Vale and my life is about to get real… Really complicated and ridiculously dangerous. Which is almost funny given at nineteen I already know too much of the darkness of the world and people, the secrets they keep.

Or so I thought.

Turns out those quirky abilities I’ve been keeping secret expose me to a world I didn’t know existed. Sure, I knew I wasn’t human—but how exactly do I find out more without ending up in the wrong hands?

And I’m not so sure I’m in the right hands now given some of the reactions to finding me. They say I’m the last fairy. I’m not sure I should trust them when their thoughts are mostly of power and how to use me.

But I’m also not sure I have much of a choice. My powers are dangerous and I don’t know how to use them. They promise to teach me what I need to know and give me a chance at something I’ve never had before.

A normal life. I don’t think anything about Artemis University and those who attend is normal, but it’s still better than the life I’ve been living if they keep half their promises.

I think hoping they’ll keep half is generous.

Artemis University is a hot burning reverse harem, university-age paranormal academy series with darker elements, strong language, violence, and a heroine who follows her own moral compass of what is right… And who she ends up giving her heart to.

No Longer Home: House of Garner 1

My name is Inez Garner, and my story has sort of been told… But not. I’m turning twenty-three and find out I’m not human; I’m apparently a vampire. Sure, who hasn’t read that story? Oh, but I’m a princess. And there’s a zombie apocalypse—although I’m debating where the line is of apocalypse vs. post-apocalypse. There’s also a quest that I’m compelled to be on, and it might all be coming from the Goddess.

Awesome. It seems She has big plans for me. And I have to deal with ghosts. When I kill corrupted—the nice PC name people call zombies, as it’s not their fault they eat people—I then have to deal with their ghosts. Which is super when being hunted for years by some guys I don’t want to know better.

Add to everything, I have to apologize to heroines for judging them when they fall in bed with the hot guy and buy the story he gives. I get it now. Sex is splendid. I’m not one to believe a con, but he’s got answers I need, like why I have no memories before I was eighteen.

Plus, the fangs sort of sold it for me. I hope he forgives me for shooting him.

House of Garner is an apocalyptic hot burning WhyChoose romance with darker elements, strong language, violence, and a heroine that doesn’t let anyone get in her way.

Undisclosed Assets: Untraceable Succubus 1

A succubus working as a stripper sounds like a cliché or start of a bad joke, but Lola Chase is in a human only province in Canada for other reasons. Someone is murdering women society looks down on, and she’s there to stop it. As a demon, she’s bottom of the supernatural food chain and knows how often people ignore crimes against them.

From the start there isn’t much to go on, and she ends up getting in a bit of trouble following any leads she gets. Things get complicated when an ancient, big name vampire takes interest in her and getting away from him proves to be much harder than her normal admirers.

Thankfully, although her cover is a stripper, Lola loves to dance and the fun she has helps balance out the stress and worry of the case.

Plus, she finds some very hot men to play with and feed from. The question is whether or not she can balance it all and find a murderer before he kills again.

Untraceable Succubus is a murder mystery series where the sex is hot and often and the main character kicks some serious ass on the road to finding out if she can have real love in her life even if it comes from multiple men.

Demon of Death: Enchantress 1

Soraya Devil is the Enchantress, one of the most powerful magics in the world… But she’s so much more than that, and everyone’s constantly attempting to unravel her past and secrets. She’s not worried though, as many have tried and never find out the truth.

It’s safer for everyone that way.

The owner of Paranormal Investigations—among other companies—she has her own answers to find. Though she’s continuously pulled in too many directions, she always answers the calls that make even her magic tingle in warning at the danger.

When a sprite begins killing people in Chicago, she has to team up with SPU—Supernatural Police Unit—to figure out who summoned the demon and why before more die. While that’s enough of a challenge, the main hurdle is the team lead on the case who loathes all magics. But when he can’t seem to get past his hate and do his job, can Soraya make an ally from an enemy, or will the evil unleashed in the city she loves win the day?

Rough Beginnings: Karma Bakery 1

Starting a New Business Takes Magic

Imagine there weren’t three main gods of Olympus, but four. A sister who went through something so horrible, so traumatic she left and was written out of history.

Arabella Baker and her two adopted daughters are moving to Boston to open a new business and start over. Things will be different this time with the new names and new life. The twins will live on their own at college—though still right in Boston—and experience something a bit more normal. The store she bought has a hefty price, but the location is fantastic, and she got the best spot in the new development… Which apparently comes with an immensely attractive man who owns it all.

Nothing goes smoothly in opening a new business though, sample days, crazy busy, and fluff interviews taking dark turns. Honestly, it leaves Arabella asking one main question—why did she think opening in such a large city and right before the holidays was such a great idea?

Meave: Naughty Witches 1

Leaving NYC and a troubling past, Meave Washington is starting over. She has a good plan, but she’s probably bit off more than she can chew. So she embraces the chance of fate that lands help at her feet—and if he’s smoking hot, all the better.

Distracted by a text while driving, Ashton Perry injures Meave. He’s horrified that he could have killed someone, and steps up to make it right… And not just because she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.

Sparks immediately start flying and the desire is undeniable but it’s not that simple to take the leap. But Ashton’s barely a man, and Meave is hiding something important. When the woman is older, age isn’t just a number and Meave isn’t sure Ashton can be who she needs.

Ashton steps up to prove he’s not just a man, but the man his bewitching lady deserves. He doesn’t care what she is—only who she is. And he’ll do whatever it takes to prove it.

Naughty Witches is a burning paranormal romance novella series with strong female leads, fun so sexy it raises the temperature, and mismatched people who find HEAs that give us all hope fate won’t forget us. Each book is a new pairing in the same world, with an overall series arc.

The Turning: Dr. Kelly Murphy 1

One Bite Can Change Everything

Graduate medical school, start competitive internship, don’t get cut from the program, become a surgeon. It was a great plan. One Kelly Murphy loved and had dreamed of most of her life… And it was blown to hell in a night with an uninvited bite.

Now she’s missing three days of her life, trying to handle her freaked out best friend and parents who called the police when she went missing, all as she realizes she’s not the same person she was before. She’s different. Like has fangs different.

When he shows up on her doorstep claiming to know what happened to her, Kelly’s not sure that makes things any less confusing. But at least he can guide her, right? Either way, she has a plan and a choice she didn’t make won’t stop her… Even if she might have the urge to bite her patients from now on.

Owned: Secure Settings 1

Kate Boyle has lived through more loss than most people twice her age. She’s strong and independent, so letting people in to help her handle her grief or problems is next to impossible for her.

The owner of a successful company, Secure Settings, Kate devotes all her time to keeping people safe and rescuing those who can’t save themselves. When she gets the call that her grandpa died and she’s now inherited his ranch, a storm of epic proportions starts. Smart enough to know she can’t watch out for danger while grieving, she calls in a favor for help.

Jared and Dean Acker just got out of the Marines and are a little lost as to what comes next for them. So when they’re asked to back up a friend of a friend, they’re in… And meet the woman of their dreams. Now, if they could just convince her.

Wounded: In My Dreams 1

Authors Dream Of Their Happiness Too

Gas station coffee is the highlight of Lily Slone’s boring outing until fate intervenes… Along with the barrel of a gun and a lost soldier who saves her life.

Jasper Hutson—a homeless Marine, discarded by his family after returning home from the war wounded—reacted on instinct. But this one act brings him to Lily’s attention, and not because he saves her life. She sees something else in him. Something no one else sees.

Refusing to give up on him when everyone else does, Lily offers Jasper a place to stay and an opportunity to get back on his feet. That one offer will change her world. When they grow closer and Jasper makes Lily’s life so much easier, she’s not sure she can go back to living without him.

As life moves forward and they get into their own rhythm, Lily discover something about Jasper that he’s kept hidden. Will she continue to reach for her happily ever after or will they both remain wounded?

About the Author

Erin is a born Chicagoan who has lived in several states which gives her an interesting perspective from which to write characters. Still a loyal Cubs fan, she also cheers for her alma mater, the Illini from her home outside Boston. To date, she has published hundreds of paranormal books in different genres that have dedicated readers who await each release to her numerous series. With her canine editor-in-chief Lord Vader Flynn at her side, she has no plans of stopping anytime soon and looks forward to new adventures and worlds on the horizon.

ErinRFlynn.com

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Supernatural Script Inc.

Other Titles by Erin R Flynn

SERAPHINE THOMAS

Accidentally Wolf

Allure of the Wolf

Siren’s Battle

Abusing the Alpha

Siren’s Kiss

Hunted Wolf

Shattered Alpha

Rebuilding the Wolf

Invading Alpha

Recovering the Siren

Provoked Wolf

Reorganized Wolf

Woman In Demand

Growing Alpha

Disrespected Chief

ARTEMIS UNIVERSITY

Upended Life

Drowning Studies

Surviving Plagues

Weakened Mountains

Thwarting Cheaters

Compounding Traumas

Dodging Calamities

Reaching Answers

Managing Expectations

Erupting Shadows

Multiplying Storms

Unregulated Upheaval

Absorbing Inevitability

Necessary Respite

Adjusting Course

Promising Changes

Healthy Progress

Lingering Threats

Balanced Trajectory

HOUSE OF GARNER

No Longer Alone

Team Inez

Reaching for Home

Princess Ninja Warrior

Extending Family

Team Changes

Redefined Commitments

UNTRACEABLE SUCCUBUS

Undisclosed Assets

Savvy Negotiator

Master Juggler

Jumbled Positions

THE ENCHANTRESS

Demon of Death

Thieves About

Striking Souls

Enacting Revenge

Culling Damnation

Monsters of Limit

Befouled Healers

Flock of Nightmares

KARMA BAKERY

Rough Beginnings

Opening Struggles

Turbulent Expansion

Weary Christmas

Juggling Concerns

Heartful Secrets

NAUGHTY WITCHES

Meave

Briony

Sia

DR. KELLY MURPHY

The Turning

The Transition

The Decision

SECURE SETTINGS

Owned

Claimed

IN MY DREAMS

Wounded

Alone

Broken

A Supernatural Script Inc. Book

Copyright © 2023 Erin R Flynn

Seraphine Thomas 15: Disrespected Chief
eBook ISBN:

First E-book Publication: May 2023

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

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Extra Scene

Find A New Series To Love…

About the Author

Other Titles by Erin R Flynn

A Supernatural Script Inc. Book